AND prices have come down a bit in the last few years.Get a good grip on your personal spending and CUT BACK on everything for a couple of years.

I have a great job that I love and currently do not need to spend the cash flow from the properties. 

You're at the net worth level now where detailed investment and tax analysis can have large impacts to your overall ability to retire and spend. 

I have been considering asking to buy the single family in cash to separate the deal but would like that amount to be subtracted from the purchase price while keeping the cash I would spend on the down payment the same to include the single family that way the seller gets the same amount of cash upfront.

I like to have 1-2 virtual assistants to handle tasks that I don't want to spend time on.

Maybe this is just happening because of the colder weather but I'm not sure and I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars getting a plumber to come out if a good investor-friendly handyman can take a look.

There are two requirements to claim REP status1) 750 Hours2) You spend more time on real estate than other activities such as your W-2 Job or BusinessYou want to work with a tax professional who will be able to advise you on what hours count and what hours do not count.Furthermore, the CPA may have a nice worksheet that you can use to help you document your hours.Best of luck!

A lot of clients ask me how much I spend on a typically full cosmetic rehab of a duplex unit in Philly.

Early on into budgeting many years ago I tracked all of my spending for a month. 

I’m curious to get some data on what people are spending on water/sewage each month on their duplexes….As the owner, water/sewage are the utilities I expect to pay myself.