"Badges of Fraud" is a holistic analysis which takes into account at least a dozen factors, if not more.

I was happy with Buildium for that but, I plan to transition to this in 2014 because of the holistic ability to manage my business.

@Randall Re II I think this is a sound perspective.I'll also add that it can be helpful to make a true apples-to-apples comparison with respect to your cost of capital.Many investors will look at just the interest rate when comparing lending options, some will look at the interest rate and points, and the most sophisticated investors will take a holistic view, or examine the total cost of capital.The total cost of capital includes not only the interest rate and points, but also the pre-closing costs and fees associated with the loan.Examining all cost variables allows you to make a true comparison between lender quotes.Nice post!

This almost always necessitates the NRA file a 1040NR to reclaim the excess withheld, further adding to the compliance structure and cost.A lot of hedge fund managers don't like to have NRAs come into their LPs specifically because they find out about these obligations during tax time and don't like what it does to their compliance bills.A "blocker", i.e. establishing a US C Corp between the NRAs and the US investments, does solve this problem, but again, all factors need to be considered for a holistic approach -- minimization of US tax liability, Canadian tax liability, and compliance fees in both countries.

It's more than just real estate; it's a holistic transformation of our lives and our business.

Make sure they know you're interested in real estate income tax compliance before you start working and after.Agree with @Steven Hamilton II that you need to be very good at researching and finding the answer on your own -- the correct and holistic answer -- without anyone's help if you intend to open your own practice. 

Maybe I'm alone here, but I've never had a prospective tenant be so upset with the prospect of not being able to rent specifically my property that they take action which requires me to prove my reasoning in rejecting them.What has instead happened 100% of the time is that they move on, find a different place, rent that place, and we each move on with our lives.Maybe it's not right, maybe it's not even legal, but I tell all applicants that I evaluate their application holistically (five syllable words often catch tenants off guard), as I do with all prospective tenants.

The "business activities" you are describing would be considered self-dealing if you used your 401(k) or SDIRA funds to invest in themWithout a holistic view of your financial setup it is really hard to advise you on the tradeoffs associated with investing funds on a tax-advantaged basis.

Finally, from a holistic approach, someone buying a $2 million apartment building in cash probably has other investments.

To take advantage of these great opportunities, you must think like a holistic investor.