Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Have you had success networking locally?

Additionally, lenders may consider various factors such as past income statements from the subject property or income statements from similar properties nearby, managed by professionals.

Your rental income and expenses would end up on your personal return and could net to zero, but not be deductible (unless you have real estate professional status).Bill does have a good idea about living in a residence for two years, fixing it up, and selling it with the exclusion (up to 500k for a married couple), if that was something you wanted to do.  

networking) This in itself will take time because no one likes to build a large network without getting paid. 2.

In the future, after this guest I'll take the time to get professional photos and create listings for other places like Airbnb, Zillow, VRBO, etc. 

They are very well organized and very professional, and their reported past results are exceedingly good at 24% avg annual return, but that was then (lowest interest rates in 90 years, CAP rates compressed from 8 to 3) and now is now. 

The pictures are professionally done, but they aren't labeled.

@Chelsie Hall - I just finished a CSS Decision Diagram flowchart intended to bring together all the various questions when assessing the benefits of a CSS (via a professional or DIY).

Many agents are also investors and have a network of subcontractors.