If you are not comfortable with your accountant or how he is preparing/explaining your return, you may need a new accountant. 

This means lower returns, of course, but we're not currently prepared to oversee a major reno from afar.

Aw jeez, I thought only Seattle had to deal with this insanity. 

I thought about doing my return through Dave ramseys tax pro. they are state based and are certified through your state.  

Another idea we’ve been dabbling with given western Michigan’s coast is short term rentals in one of the beach towns along the lake.Would love to hear people’s thoughts, share their experiences, or give any advice regarding the GR market and surround area. 

I would guess if you do have 500k in equity you could probably outproduce the cashflow in most markets oustide of CA, and could possibly diversify into more than 1 property.Just some food for thought.

It’s been a long time since posting on here since starting my investing journey and boy has it been a whirlwind of crazy, fun and wisdom building, not the way I thought I would gain wisdom, but im grateful for what was earned in this process nonetheless!

You don't necessarily need a CPA licensed in those states to provide you with tax planning, tax advice or to help prepare your return.licensure for CPA's by states are normally important when you want to provide assurance / auditing related assurance

Clearly, since I'm posting in this forum, I see how good investing in MHP's can be if done with diligence and thoughtfulness.

Unless you're prepared to just call it a gift, you want to get the documentation right up front.