Usually they were being irrational and were just venting, but it becomes exhausting to be on the butt end of such venting time and time again.

Some ideas that come to mind:-A carefully crafted operating agreement that calls for the active spouse to be the sole managing member and the inactive spouse to be nothing more than an equity member only can add an argument for a passive LLC member, and thus, some wiggle room for exemption from employment tax.

If you are classifying yourself as a contractor rather than an employee, the earnings won’t be subject to payroll taxes and can be taken as a distribution allowing the S-Corp to avoid paying SE taxes.

When I exhaust my list I either ask someone I trust or I use a service like Home Advisor, but that has mixed results as well.

My local attorney has stated the LLC offers some better protection than an S Corp. 

Hate to brake it to you but two things in life are an absolute certainty: 1) death at some point and 2) paying taxes.You can only defer the payment of taxes (assuming you have exhausted all means of reducing the taxable income/gain as much as legally possible).You say you "have been reading up" on this.

I put a supercharger on it, full exhaust and a few other goodies.  1986 Porsche 928.

Craig, a dentist has spent a little more time and money on his education than an HVAC technician.

It may be worth going back to the drawing table and doing some more 'research' on google but, once you have exhausted you're search it may be wise to listen to what those who have more experience and have been there are trying to tell you... you don't have to follow it... but listening doesn't hurt, best of luck to ya. 

I would always try to exhaust the HELOC route before going the mortgage route.