Could also be things like a new laptop if the laptop is used exclusively to conduct business on your rental properties (make the laptop or other assets $2,500 or less to avoid depreciation over multiple years). 

I've worked exclusively with builders on for-sale subdivisions throughout Southern CA for the past ~20 years (thousands of new homes) and cannot think of a single time one of my builder-clients has retraded on price after a third-party inspector toured on behalf of a buyer.

But, excel is totally fine in the beginning (in addition to your PM software to capture transactions outside of the properties).We use QuickBooks Online exclusively for all of our REI Clients.

Brown I don't think rentredi and property manager is mutually exclusive.

Do you require the tenants to have renters insurance AND do you make sure the renters policy does not have a dog bite / dog breed exclusion?

@Nick Zupec  the background check is transunion ,  I believe anyone using transunion has these exclusions. 

In addition, if you are self-employed with no full-time employees you may wish to consider opening a Solo 401k instead of a self-directed IRA as it has several advantages over an IRA LLCsuch as much higher contribution limits, direct checkbook control (i.e. no need to have the account at a speciality trust company), ability to take a 401k loan, exclusion from unrelated debt finance income tax with respect to investment in real estate acquired with non-recourse financing, etc.

First I would see if they would qualify for a 121 exclusion.

Yes, the spring/summer season sees demand ramp up, but that doesn't mean a house listed in December won't sell.If you buy in October/November, chances are you won't be listing until January, anyways.If I had a house completed on, say, December 15th, I would likely sit on it through the holiday season before taking it to market, but I would talk to realtors.  

Even if you use the installment method to defer some of the gain, the exclusion of gain under Section 121 remains available.As for your seller financing question, zero percent seller financing is fine.