Most professional agents set a minimum dollar theyll do at these price points that will be substantial. 

(check page 7 of this IRS Pub)Something that's non-passive and you materially participate means you can deduct those losses up to the excess business loss limit. 

I highly recommend you create an "Animal Addendum" which is a set of rules for any animal, whether it's a pet or service animal.

As I said earlier, this is strictly for investment purposes.The property does not have to be turnkey, if there is room for improvement that's of no concern as we both have the skill set to invest in whatever upgrades are required.

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how much money I would lose, purchasing a home is a very emotional thing for my, my wife and I find it really hard to get honest answers or comparisons from family or colleagues about how much money it would set us back, so I am only assuming the worst and hoping someone here can advise.

Like you said, I want to seed different strategies I can implement with the limited capital I have.  

Technically a single family by zoning, though set-up to be a duplex, with 3 beds and 2 baths per unit.

-If you are set on selling off market and too investors, I recommend reaching out to all of the property managers in the area and see if they have clients.

They are looking to set up their "home".

That's a terrible idea.He should either install a smart thermostat that allows him to set limits, or he should remove her from the property.