And you don't have Schedule C to deduct the business expense.This might have changed if your RE portfolio was run like a business and/or you have a partnership; the partnership would then deduct the travel expense as an ordinary business expense.As I said, it gets complicated quickly.

The current owner listed last years income as $51,000, but currently has rents at (for the five separate units): $650, $750, $800, $825, $1125 (the math doesn't totally add up so maybe he changed a rent payment at some point). 

The tricky part will be to get the the city to change your property's zoning to multi family (if it isn't already).

I've done it twice here and it's changed my life.

Make sure the estimates are very detailed (scope, SF, $/sf, schedule, etc) to ensure that there is a clear dilation between contract work and change orders.

It takes more effort and there's more risk involved (therefor more reward), but it just depends on your goals and how you want to get there.As far as focusing on areas with high demand for travel nurses, that's just 1 tenant-type of many in a changing landscape.

However, maybe I can isolate my original question by changing to a hypothetical. 

Also I have done it in the past whenever I had a change in plans and they never had the opportunity to actually be selected. 

Be the change you want to see in the world."

All of these things change over time.