Natalie - would you be able to provide color as to why the audits of DIY cost segregation studies were not allowed under IRS audit?  

did half the flip work, sold with new walls and new electric/plumbing.

Neutral colors work well, and energy-efficient upgrades not only attract buyers but can also qualify for tax benefits.

This has pluses and minuses.If your property is bulletproof such as no framing - cinder block construction, cement floors, gloss white paint slapped on the walls and a cheap window mount AC, then you are in a prime position to make money with S8. 

It's not fully closed as in drywall, it's sort of a faux wall on our side, but the tenant could open the door on his side and come through if he wanted.

There is something called a "wet wall" that the pipes go through behind the toilet and sink or wherever pipes are.

Windows would be my next check-point (less than R1) and then wall insulation: I would not be surprised if they have no insulation inside, but you can do blow-in, which only requires a small hole.A home looses heat in two ways: heat conduction (which you can slow down with insulation) and drafts, which in old houses is usually the biggest culprit.

Anything that involves a load bearing wall will generally need an architect IME, but it can also be required (maybe indirectly) through the jurisdiction's building code/enforcement.Got it, thank you for lending your expertise!

-If you have ceiling heights for 48" wall cabinets, that's great.

Glazing in walls, enclosures or fences containing or facing hot tubs, spas, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, bathtubs, showers and indoor or outdoor swimming pools where the bottom exposed edge of the glazing is less than 60 inches (1524 mm) measured vertically above any standing or walking surface shall be considered to be a hazardous location.