That said, if I were financially independent, I'd probably want to blog about personal finance and help others succeed in real estate all day long... so it looks like I might be here at BP for a very long time ;)@Galen Herbst de Cortina Now that's a response I wasn't expecting - getting credibility with the wife.  

There is no need to elect the Routine Maintenance Safe Harbor, but you do need to elect the De Minimis Safe Harbor but unlike the SHST, this De Minimis safe harbor applies to ALL your properties. 

If you are doing an inspection keep in mind that you pay all the costs to get the utilities and possibly the cost to de-winterize and re-winterize and will not get your earnest money back based on the inspectionFeel free to contact me if you have any questions. 

We're also now serving on the de facto "board" to help her with more strategic decisions.There's a program in KC that works with landlords (somehow I've forgotten their name) who we also want to start working with.

Le monde est bien petit- nous, on essaie de nous extraire du "développement" après 25 ans pour nous reposer et gagner un peu de fric, y'en a marre.............Yes, tenting is putting a giant tent over the house and use Vikane. they leave it for 3 days then you can go back in.

That's more than the highly specialized Delaware Trust thing advocated by podcast 109. 

If the seller (bank) doesn't require you to use their property management company you can call around and find your own company that will de-winterize it for you quicker and may cost you $100 or so since they will then have to winterized the property again once inspections are complete.  

It's in a small high end subdivision on a new cul-de-sac that's already paved, but there are about 10 new lots and none are built on yet in that section.

Some of this is state-specific, and there are such things as "prescribed" easements, where it becomes one de facto because it's been there so long, but beyond that, running a utility system I can recount a number of times where this has been an issue, and the property owner dug up the connection at the property line, capped it, and told the neighbor to pound sand.

John De La Garza I’m not sure what your question is but I have vacation rentals in pigeon forge/Gatlinburg that I self manage.