Unfortunately, he got behind on property taxes and was struggling to keep up with maintenance, so the place was in rough shape.

If the new administration actually enacts their policy stances on tariffs, immigration, trying to ignite the economy even more....all of those things add up to higher inflation.

., mortgage interest, taxes, repairs, depreciation) on Schedule E starting when the property is placed in service.

Fannie/Freddie (Conventional) loans aren't just about rate and transfer taxes. 

For the LTR outside CA, forming an LLC in the state where the property is located can reduce administrative costs and avoid double franchise taxes in California.

If your brother is looking to invest in real estate largely from a tax reduction standpoint they should pay a qualified real estate tax strategist to review their specific situation and what may or may not work for them. 

The market is soft now, but with the new administration, we are going to see a lot more jobs coming in.

If you haven't yet found a CPA or tax professional to help you save on your tax bill each year, would you want BP to help recommend a tax professional for you? 

Adding the ex to the title could trigger gift tax implications, so keeping it simple is best.

I am in one of the higher tax brackets and could be saving around 40k~ a year on taxes with this.