“We shifted to a hard-core marketing strategy,” he said.

Meeting the 100-hour material participation rule qualifies your STR income as active as long as no one else participates more than you, This will allow losses to offset W-2 or other active income.While there’s no official IRS form to track hours, maintaining a detailed log is essential in case of an audit.

What Makes Germany a Prime Market for U.S.

THEN, I plan to purchase the second home using a FHA or conventional loan (3%-5% down), for which I will likely pay the monthly cost out-of-pocket, maybe with some rental income support if it is a duplex.My concern is, I do not want to spend my savings or weigh down my debt-to-income ratio so much so that I cannot qualify for and pay the down payment and closing for the lending on the second home.Questions: - With the first home being multi-family, 75% of the rental income (or potential rental income initially) will relatively either maintain or boost my debt-to-income ratio from lenders' perspectives, right? 

For my money, I'd look there and let the market bring you up.

However, employer profit-sharing contributions (up to 25% of W-2 wages) are not subject to FICA taxes and do not appear on the W-2.To stay IRS-compliant, ensure your Form W-2 and Form 941 properly reflect deferrals, and maintain a reasonable salary to avoid red flags.

I'm not familiar with your market, but here are some thoughts:750 Sq ft is small for a 3/1.Interior looks like a flip but it seems like it has been owned by the sellers for a long time...so maybe not.They have been trying to sell this property for 6 months and have reduced price. 

Time in the market beats timing the market!

There are also additional costs of operating and maintaining an LLC, like separate bank accounts, annual report filings, tax filings, etc.2.

Strong Potential for Long-Term Capital AppreciationGermany's real estate market has demonstrated a strong track record of capital appreciation.