What are some added security measures that you have or have heard of someone putting in their contracts?

@Justin Y.If to you "tax shelter" means any method of reducing taxable income, then you may be focused on the wrong reason to invest in residential rental real estate.There are three advantages to investing in rental property:  Appreciation, Cash flow, and Tax benefits. 

However we are the number 1 seller in the greater Cleveland area so it has proven to be the most effective method on the planet to moving investment property in the Cleveland area.

An alternative would be to apply the RUBS billing method for water/sewer, which costs no money.

@David Frey the method that many of us vets talk about is using your BAH to pay for your SIDE of a property. 

You've identified the lender's title policy as a junk "fee".You consider the lender's underwriting as well as the preparation of loan docs/security instrument by the lender's attorney to be "junk".There may be a few dollars to argue about in that list but not these.

This method allows you to make very large depreciation deductions from your property, to offset your income tax.

I would make sure you decide which method allows you the most flexibility. 

I am in the process of renovating a rental property through an insurance claim after a recent fire. Appliances are not included in the insurance claim of what's being covered by insurance since that falls under "perso...

Would need a gate as well and I am not confident in how to price it, so I am looking for contractors that would offer an honest price and do a good job.Also, anyone have a good ballparking method for cost of these things?