Be sure to consult with your CPA to determine if you can utilize these deductions based on your specific tax situation.

And remember the tax deductions and depreciation you will lose out on. 

It seems that investing in improvements while I still live in the home wouldn't be tax deductible.

Deduct NEW property taxes after you buyDeduct home insurance costsDeduct maintenance percentage, typically 10%Deduct vacancy+tenant nonperformance percentage(we recommend 5% for Class A, 10% Class B, 20% Class C, good luck with Class D)Deduct whatever dollar/percentage of cashflow you wantNow, what you have left over is the amount for debt service.Enter it into a mortgage calculator, with current interest rate for an investment property, to determine your maximum mortgage amount.Divide the mortgage amount by either 75% or 80%, depending on the required down payment percentage - this is your tentative price to offer.If the property needs repairs, you'll want to deduct 110%-120% of the estimated repairs from this amount.Be sure to also research the ARV and make sure it's 10-20% higher than your tentative purchase price.As long as the ARV checks out, this is the purchase price to offer.It is probably significantly below the asking price.

I use high deductibles($10k) which saves me a lot of money.

Insurance would cover it, I would pay the deductible, and no assets would be lost.If you are in an area like San Diego where people are more likely to sue, a judge is more likely to find you guilty, and the payout is expected to be higher, you may consider an umbrella insurance policy.

Those who believe Trump's tax cuts only benefitted the 1% must not understand that the cuts benefitted anyone with income from pass through entities, everyone who takes the standard deduction. and everyone with a child.

I'm a realtor from Colorado who wholesales STRs nationwide to help investors get big tax deductions.

Advanced options like a charitable remainder trust can provide tax deductions while avoiding immediate capital gains.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

I have not reviewed BAM's fees but it's likely based on their representation of UNDER 10% "skin in the game" that most of their "investment" is taken from fees deducted from the money gamblers place with them and counted as equity in the deal; this is a common practice in the syndication industry.