Along these lines here is a great calculator from SmartAsset on comparing whether you should Rent vs Buy by city:https://smartasset.com/mortgage/rent-vs-buy

Traditonally the industry uses "Comparable sales" to value 1-4 unit properties.

@Michael Harris , if primary purpose of this is tax avoidance, it is not permitable. 

I’ve been going back and forth between whether I want to wait until I have the funds to purchase a property for this purpose vs obtaining a lease and subletting that property when I am not in town (with landlord permission of course).

Also, you PM fees will be astronomical (8-10%) compared to the fees paid by 100+ unit owners (3-3.5%). 

I would typically recommend a partnership (2 person LLC) that files a separate form 1065 for tax purposes. 

@Brian TranAppraisers value based off size (sq ft, beds, baths, garage y/n) and also condition.So if you have a 3 bed 2 bath in “C4” condition then he will compare your 3/2 to other 3/2’s in C4 condition.Condition ratings are ridiculously subjective in my experience.

After total rent , minus repairs, and my purchase price, I still managed to squeak out a minor profit( however, for tax purposes, it will still show a loss after the depreciation is added back in to calculate the cost basis, just my opinion).

I am a private lender financing business purpose loans for investment properties in california.I like to service my own loans as that gives me an opportunity to keep in touch with my borrowers and also turn them as my marketing agents too ( where ever i can)I am only doing about 5 loans at a time and use xls for that (interest only loans)I al looking for a recommendation for a cloud based software I could use for servicing a small pool of california loans.Please advise.

Thank you, Dominique, I agree with you I will not ever need that reputation, but you thinking ideally from this buyers side, even though I am the most straight guy, just because when he presented at the property to show it for him, he checked from basement to chimney, and he persuaded me that he is an investor and will turn this mixed commercial property into a condo , he will just advertise it for this coming purpose , have his contractor come to check it and see what is needed to be done etc...,  in order to find tenants and get a high appraisal on it so he can recover his rehab money, LOGIC story righteventually, nothing like that happened and he is fooling around never ever talked to me again after siging the contract and I call his title company and they never respond or every have this property set for search nor a contract or escrow money ..., then I get to talk to them when I sent a cancellation letter, they answered and said we are not obligated nor the buyer to tell you anything or when we want to work on the title or what we will do in the propertyIf you were in my shoes what do you think of this guy and his people, plus the property listed with a whole different brokerage does not even have a website or address who is the bad guy then ?!!!