But it's difficult for me to just hand over money to someone I've never met, when I have so many friends (and have read so many stories here) who have been ripped off by contractors.How can I protect myself?

That means, when they are damaged it doesn't eat up the whole security deposit leaving more money to cover other damages better protecting me. 3.

I’d like to be protected if it takes longer than 60 days to sell a spec.

Include an exit strategy, tax planning, and insurance to protect both parties.

By not putting all your capital into one deal, you protect yourself from major losses and keep your portfolio more resilient.

We plan to remove them all to protect from tax increases on our current primary, but I am afraid that now that the other properties won't have homesteads, we may see skyrocketing tax bills and it will eat into already small cash flow from rental income.Does anyone have advice for how to handle this situation other than just increasing rent?

This is getting very tedious and time consuming.

I agree with complications of ownership when it comes to Land Trust, and it also does nothing for asset protection. 

Virtual offices in Spain usually include a professional fiscal and commercial address specifically designed to meet legal requirements and protect your personal assets.

They'll fight tooth & nail in court to keep a full accounting hidden, even to the point of claiming protected work related.