I can absolutely understand how these experiences have drained the joy out of owning rental properties.

You need to up your standards or life as a Landlord will be very difficult.One violation and I would evict.

It is my understanding that gifting a property does nothing to step up basis as the capital gains would follow the gift. 

As real estate investors and property owners, understanding the broader implications of this development will be key to navigating the opportunities it presents.Anduril Industries and Its Expansion PlansAnduril Industries specializes in advanced defense technology, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous systems.

Thus, my main goal joining this forum is to try to gain confidence in the decision to get into real estate investment and better understand the risks that I may not be considering due to my lack of experience in the field.

This does not involve the utility company meaning that you will still have to go into the property, read the meters, then individually bill each tenant for their usage and understand the bill is still in your name.

Not questioning your judgement/assessment, just trying to understand the situation to best advise you. 

I'm going off the understanding that you still need to spend 500+ hours in the business to achieve material participation (please correct me if I'm wrong). 

@Chris Morris have ALWAYS seen bad "deals" from rookie wholesalers that really don't understand what they are doing to provide value to the industry.It's getting worse because the real estate market has recovered from the 2010 Crash, yet many are still using tactics & methods developed during this time.Everyone in the industry needs to go back and look at what was being done BEFORE 2010 and start using those methods, updating them with current technology.

It's important to understand the zoning/code requirements and obtain all necessary permitting if you intend on operating your real estate as STR anywhere in the country.