Many judges would feel you got paid even if no cash was sent to you.I could see this potentially working on a higher-end property that it in excellent condition with a Grade A tenant.  

I have 0 experience managing STR properties, but lots of experience using Airbnb from my travels 😅 I am halfway reading Avery Carl’s book on STR.

This is often where the decision is made. 

Definitely read that and post.

I don't understand this topic very well so looking for a connection to a good real estate focused CPA to help with my filing.LLC does not change your taxes, and it's even possible that cost segregation does not.

Read that again.   

A few tidbits for anyone else reading this.  

@Stacey OlsonRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

You can also search Google and read reviews.

This isn't to say you can't flip properties part-time, but it will come with challenges.