I believe everything my CPA did matches what you described above (loan write offs, depreciation, biz expenses, etc.).  

What I continue to struggle with is how expensive homes are in my area.

Here's a summary of what they've offered:- Monthly PM Fee: 8%- Markup Fee: 15% on top of bills for services like fridge setup, applicable to any expense over $300.- Late Fees: They retain 8% of any late fees collected.- Initial Setup Fee: $300.- New Lease Fee: $275, but no fees for lease renewals.- Maintenance: They offer minor maintenance in-house, with the markup fee applying to expenses over $300.Do these terms seem reasonable to you?

Total expenses (include formulaic maintenance and vacancy rates)4.

The 30yr would give me a little wiggle room in payments so just in case I had a couple months where living expenses went up, I would still be comfortable.There is my two cents.

Property managers can also be expensive.

Does anyone in a similar situation Cover the cost of Hostaway (or other pms) by charging the property owner for the expense?

They are also taking 5 years to do 4 year degrees-not because they are working part time, but because they can't handle a full course load and that is adding a lot to their costs with an extra year of living expenses.

The Bay Area is a very expensive housing market to get into, for me, it’s more financially feasible to start investing in the midwest.  

Currently it would be a break even on expenses estimated.