One other thought - I've successfully added a clause in the lease that indicates if I have to go to court and get a judgement to collect money for anything, the tenant is on the hook for 7% per year interest on that amount.

Can somebody please point me to investor friendly tax preparer or CPA in Louisiana (Lafayette or Baton Rough) for service.

sounds like you're being thoughtful about this and you got some really thoughtful responses back, including from@Travis Timmons@Michael Dumlerjust to pile on - it is very, very difficult to, in the short term, replace W2 income with income from long term rentals. 

I thought that taking bonus depreciation was a no brainer?

Thanks Kevin for your thoughts and honest feedback.

Does anyone have recommendations or thoughts on approaching this situation for ease of management and tax efficiency?

We are preparing to do fix and flips long distance in a city where we have plenty of family.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Having achieved a positive outcome with my first investment, I'm now eagerly preparing to close on my next investment property.

You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a tax strategist who is willing to work with you throughout the year, not just when preparing your tax return.