Hi Anthony-You asked about the best ways to find off-market deals for your in-laws to buy and move into and you are focussed on the Santa Barbara, CA area which I have been to and it is gorgeous.It kind of reminds me of an Ann Arbor on the ocean. :)Anyway, I like your strategy of driving and looking for houses in need of repair and sending handwritten letters and contacting rentals for the reasons you gave.

@Nathan Harden- agree about OH ....I went to school at Miami U and lived in columbus area for a few yrs  ...many friends that still live there ......I live in Seattle proper ( near  Magnusson Park ...also  own  2  properties in Mason County ......father in law lives on  close to 10 acres close to downtwon Medina so we will be dealing with  figuring out the  best thing to do with this  as he gets  older ( he is  83 now) ...stay in touch

I know a friend who is an attorney, although they don’t specialize in housing law.

I've been pretty vocal on this platform against bad syndication practices out there. 

For the office, it is advisable to begin with home office deduction if one meets the requirements of the law.

Ensure the sublease is explicitly permitted in a written agreement with your friend and aligns with local STR laws.

.: It's not an issue IF their lease is scheduled to expire.My personal practice: when a tenant submits an application, I let them know I intend to contact their former landlords.

Thank you for coming back and clarifying it, the minor difference does make a difference to me in practice.   

Quote from @MIchael McCUe: Money isn't easy to save and $10,000( my debts) is a ton of money I want to save for a downpayment, I'm just starting so I don't have any money I would like to save $60,000 to buy a rental property, I think I could do it in  5-6 years, my brother filed bankruptcy and they relieved him of $6000 in debt from cash money.a list of my debtGst Hst Tax 4500 income tax from working with my dad I oweScotiabank credit card 1400Canadian Tire credit card 500cash money loan 2400Belair 600echelon 600should I pay the 10k back in the next while or should I file bankruptcy like my brother as It won't be for years until I am able to get a downpayment for a rental house anyway.You appear to be in Toronto, so the laws may be a bit different.

You don't have to sign the agreement, though some state laws require an exclusive contract.