I don't want to doubt them or call them out, but last year I had to explain to them HoH rules (that you can actually claim HoH without claiming a dependent with a Qualifying Person--common in divorces-) and ask them to take it to the CPA who signs off on my returns.

As for funding your first property, here are a few common strategies to consider:1.

Having previously worked in-house at a hotel REIT that both owned and managed hotels, it was quite common for my employer to enter into agreements with developers of the hotel.

A common mistake in my area is to ignore Hotel Occupancy Tax.

I call them Micro hotels/co-op living—12-bedroom duplexes with 12 baths and two standard common living room kitchen spaces. 

I do however keep a spreadsheet of the more commonly forgotten items. 

Budget overruns and unexpected delays seem to be a common theme in flips, so padding the budget by 20% makes a lot of sense.

Yes, this is very common in probate deals. 

It seems like we have so much in common.

@Travis TimmonsI had the same reaction as you did, but I held off on posting since I don't yet invest in STRs (I'm all LTR so far, and looking into my first MTR).Buying an STR "to offset income" makes me nervous as well...