Reach our to @Upen Patel at the federal savings bank 

Is it too late to capture the tax savings from the first house, or are you able to do this by possibly having it assessed and using depreciation?

Colorado Federal Savings Bank seems to be making a lot of construction loans.

We don't want to field zillions of after hours emergency calls for locked out roommates and their parents in the middle of the night, when there's nothing we can do save for drilling a lock or breaking a door (which would then need to be secured). 

how find open permits on a property online?

I know of some great online options if you want to provide a simple/quick way for them to purchase.

The benefit on that is you don't get taxed on money you save.

Keep your w2, save save save, and buy something every year or two or three.

Be sure that the plumbing and electrical are all good before replacing walls or ceilings or you could have serious trouble and expenses down the line.Regarding finances: I have used QuickBooks Desktop version (saves a lot of money but does not get the constant updates) for five years.

Insurance is dicey and it's better for me to spend $100K than saving that by using insurance but risking no renewal...