Ultimately it’s personal preference but if you choose to proceed without permits you should at least use trades who have the ability to obtain permits in Philadelphia.

Hi @Jessica Heller I have lots of different trades & handyman available. 

Remember a true STR under the tax rules isn’t considered a real property trade or business.

For example, stock trading became more widespread with the advent of online brokerages.

That is in real demand here for people in the trades.   

It depends on if you got to the level of a trade or busienss which would determine if its ordinary income or not.Then the amount of time you spend on the business would determine if its passive or non-passive.

You should also look into Sold properties to see what househack deals are actually trading for.All the best!

just a couple things:-you can house hack and not deal with tenants directly as @William Collins notes. you just hire a property manager. it will cost more, but that's the trade off.

Economists note that job growth in typically underreported industries fell by 42,000 compared to the 6-month average, suggesting August’s numbers may understate actual gains.Key Employment GainsConstruction: +34,000 jobs, driven by heavy civil engineering and nonresidential trade contractors.Healthcare: +31,000 jobs, though slower than the past year's monthly average of 60,000.Social Assistance: +13,000 jobs, with more modest growth compared to previous months.Other growing sectors include financial activities, wholesale trade, and government (+24,000 jobs).Job Losses and Sector StrugglesManufacturing: -24,000 jobs.Retail: -11,100 jobs.Temporary help employment continues to shrink, reflecting business uncertainty.Wage and Fed Policy ImplicationsWages rose by 0.4% in August, up 3.8% year-over-year, supporting a cautious approach by the Federal Reserve on deeper rate cuts.

Warren Buffett didn't get rich by day trading.