Quote from @Kathleen Park: I recommend you educate yourself on "ordinary wear-and-tear" vs damages, depreciation, and your state laws.Do yourself a favor: buy "Every Landlord's Legal Guide" by NOLO.

Here's a detailed guide on how to screen applicants: Application Screening Guide

You're Realtor should help guide you and your loan officer should be able to answer your questions.

Articles, guides, webinars, forum threads, etc. that really helped you on your journey?

Start by reading the Ultimate Real Estate Investing Guide: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides/ultimate-real-estate-investing-guide/introduction2.

I recommend you buy "Every Landlord's Legal Guide" by NOLO.

Your time and effort understanding my argument will create a discussion many other can follow and use as a reference guide for similar individuals with similar discussions.

A good lender will not only guide you through financing but also offer flexible options that fit each phase of your strategy.

However, if the benefits significantly outweigh the risks and you have a strong CPA to guide you, it might be worth pursuing.

This is the IRS "intro":https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employe...and this is their 256-page guide to train their auditors:https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5712.pdfSo yes, you will come across different opinions from different tax professionals.