Endless Prop Tax Housing levies to pay for low income housing.

For a tax specialist, look for someone experienced in real estate investing to maximize deductions and plan for your goals.

Many times I would take an aggressive stance on certain deductions and wanted to clear them with him as he ultimately signed off on the return.

Knowing what I know now, I will never contribute to Roth; I will only make pre-tax contributions, get maximum tax deductions, invest, and then be selective about which asset I want to convert (such as the one above).  

@Tyler Garza Your strategy is a solid start, but avoid using a corporation for rentals due to double taxation and fewer deductions.

He says he will go back and add my deductions (they didn't input them, somehow also my fault??).

A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

Figure you are paying $6K in insurance for 5 years (assuming it doesn't go up) plus whatever the deductible is...is it better to save that money and should you need a new roof, pay for it yourself? 

Probably not, but I'd see what my CPA and attorneys have to say.Be a pain having tenants pay you twice too.Also, passive income is already treated pretty favorably after deductions such as depreciation.

You can ask the prospective tenant about the addresses or simply do a Google search for those addresses and, if it belongs to an apartment complex, you can call the apartment to see if the tenant ever lived there.Public Records:This part of the credit report will list any judgments levied against the tenant -which includes garnishments or evictions that have a monetary claim.