Not only that, but I have worked with clients who have lost thousands of dollars on damages and not being familiar with the claims systems or city regulations.

hi everyone, this is my first time posting to bigger pocketsi am an airline pilot in my mid 30s and looking to create a new life for my wife and myself and our baby on the way. i have dove deep on BP and been scouring the bookstore and the podcasts and learning as much as i can about investing in real estate. we currently live in a 1b/1ba home we own, and no longer owe any debt. i bought it for $120k in 2015 with 2br/1ba, met my wife the next year, she moved in and we gutted it and rehabbed it ourselves (aside from some structural flooring stuff and the final electric and water connections) and blew the tiny bathroom out into the adjacent bedroom, making the house a 1br/1ba. we did all the framing and flooring, paint and drywall and fixtures ourselves. we plan to add an additional bedroom or two, and possibly another bathroom, in the unfinished attic at some point. i was granted a HELOC for $120,000 with my local bank after it got reappraised a month ago at $163,000. i think we spent around $25,000 on the rehab so i'm feeling pretty darn happy about the situation. obviously the covid exodus from boston and new york have pumped real estate prices but we dont really plan on selling any time soon; but possibly renting it out if i get relocated for work.i am trying to find my first investment deal, and my wife and i have narrowed down our plan to aim for a rental with cosmetic rehab and solid tenant base. we thought about house hacking. i'm not sure of where i'll be sent next with work, but i will be sent somewhere else soon. our local market (vermont) is not very landlord friendly so we are looking at long distance, self-sufficient rental as our first investment. i am leaning toward student rentals, and after searching and comparing prices and stuff we have chosen to focus on a few different college town markets in the TN, KY, WV region. i have found a property i think might fit. its a triplex with three 1br/1ba units and off street parking, split utilities, w/d in each unit, located a half block from campus. it seems in decent shape, its been on the market over 200 days, and is listed at $190,000 in a market i believe i can ask at least $750 per unit for rent, which would bring my cash flow to near $1000/mo if i used the calculator correctly.what next??

I am hesitant because if we use our credit card we don't want to be responsible for any damage to the room or paying for extra mini bar.     

However, this is highly audited area and you will see some blocks:1) you need to find a right asset first that you  enough depreciation with cost seg. 2) you need to materially participate in that activity.3) your losses might even be limited based other IRS code section. 4) You need to have an audit proof and documentation of real estate professional status.If we are talking about a huge tax bill, I’m pretty sure you would benefit from hiring a good CPA who can cut your tax bill.

Decided to buy some of these limestone blocks. 

You might just have to wait for this one to hit the auction block.  

My previous reply explains some of the extensive renovations needed and they have a tub that currently leaks every time they use it - which ultimately is damaging my property, therefore I need to renovate the unit in a timely manner.

Can anyone recommend an excellent general contractor who is experienced and competent in dealing with rehabbing fire damaged homes? 

He then robbed a business a block away manned by a single woman.How do you get started on this?

You need to have a strong contract spelling out that you are not responsible for damage to those items.