If the house has all major components in working order a few cosmetic items doesn't make it not livable.

We have 8 business entities availing of their services, and as "advisors", they should make business life easier -- not add more work on your plate --- but instead, my team and I have been checking for mistakes, or following up on action items, missed deadlines, and paying penalties to the IRS and Secretaries of State due to their negligence.

For Non-Admitted carriers, the important item to then pay attention to is the AM Best rating (or equivalent rating agency).

Another struggle i have with STR is replacing small items continually which ties back to pricing.

Have them send you a line by line item of what's needed.

Here's a https://www.irs.gov/businesses/cost-segregation-audit-technique-guide-chapter-4-principal-elements-of-a-quality-cost-segregation-study-and-report to the IRS website noting specific items that are included in the cost segregation study report. hmm, that website is a 404 error.  

The PM should provide itemized items of what was done.

Gifting equity in a house may be more trouble than it is worth if you are not near the life-time exclusion1) Potentially having to get the property appraised everytime an equity is gifted2) Having a title company update the title every time3) Exemption of the gift tax return is normally for cash gifts below the annual gift tax exclusion, you may still need to file if you gift non-cash4) If there is partial ownership over several years, having to properly pro-rate certain items such as real estate taxes, mortgage interest and rental income if the property is a rentalBest of luck 

The property taxes will be on his Schedule A during the time the property was his primary residence, assuming he itemizes.

We understand that not every negative item we dispute will come off.We persist until we succeed because you must have a high-level of doggedness as a real estate entrepreneur.We understand there will be sunk costs and time being wasted.