These logs regularly end up in the Tax Court and are usually destroyed upon review.

After graduation, I bounced back and forth from Los Angeles to New York City, doing odd jobs.

Consider using an FHA loan to secure a 1–4 unit property with just 3.5% down and take advantage of tax benefits by living there for at least two years.

My family member is looking to sell their house after their spouse passed.

We now live in Arizona and I frequently fly back to the southeast to repair or inspect the properties and already deduct the travel, lodging, and half of the meal expenses from my taxes. 

However, these programs typically qualifies borrowers based on their income, such as tax returns.The DSCR would be a good option considering you and your husband are entrepreneurs and the tax returns don't look good on paper.

It is my understanding that the new owner will have the house at the cost basis of my purchase price, for calculating capital gains taxes or depreciation.For gift tax purposes for you - FMV.For capital gain tax purposes for the recipient - your original basis/purchase price 

Here's the deal:Purchase Price (PP): $95kRenovation Budget (via HML): $60kTotal All-In Cost: $155kARV (After Repair Value): Around $200kRefinance (via DSCR Loan): 7% interest, 30-year fixedRefinance Details: After the refi, I will pay back the Hard Money Loan (HML) at 11.95% with 3 points:HML: $60,000Interest/fees: $3,585Other costs: $1,800Total to pay back HML: $65,385After the refi, I will have $84,615 left in cash.Cash Flow & Expenses:Expected Rent Income: $1,700/monthProperty Management (PM): $126/monthInsurance: $100/monthTaxes: $126/monthMortgage: $1,043.75/monthTotal Expenses: $1,395.75/monthSo my monthly cash flow is about:$1,700 - $1,395.75 = $304.25/month in cash flow.Return on Investment:Cash Invested After Refi: About $18,385 (after paying off HML and closing costs).Annual Cash Flow: $304.25 * 12 = $3,651Cash-on-Cash Return (CoC): $3,651 / $18,385 = 19.8%I didn’t account for maintenance costs since it’s a full gut rehab, and everything is brand new.

Are there any tips or tricks I should know or keep in mind when approaching closing and for after? 

Of course, I had to make additional assumptions about the cost of property taxes, insurance etc.