Use tax benefits like depreciation, repair deductions, and tax-free refinance proceeds to offset income, and consider an LLC for liability protection.

To protect this community, they are selective about the people bring in because we all want connect with people who are motivated, committed to the process, and excited about being part of a real estate investing community.

Sometimes analyzing is too time-consuming.

Consider structuring your investment through an LLC for liability protection and tax flexibility.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

I agree with the others when they say to hire a PM; a property manager will have access to better screening and fraud detection - and hopefully can add some protections in the legal arena too.

No maintenance/cap ex, vacancy, PM, book keeping, asset protection, miscellaneous, etc.his actual cash flow when properly allocating for sustained expenses is a fraction of his advertised cash flow.  

In the manufactured home industry, I've heard more complaints about new homes being bought and installed straight from the factory than consumers buying older homes direct from homeowners. 

Do you have tips for structuring short-term leases that protect me as a landlord while accommodating their needs?

A well written management contract should clearly spell out what is expected of both the PMC and the owner, to PROTECT both and avoid misunderstandings.

This agreement with your general contractor acts as a roadmap, with clear expectations and protection for all parties involved.One frequent mistake is the failure to include sufficient detail or being too vague.