The current federal government is messing with this a bit which is likely to what your accountant was referring with "Taxes might be the same".The other thing to consider - and discuss with your accountant - is the treatment of capital gains when you dispose of property.  

@Nandy B. if your local government and housing codes allow it, you should be fine

Therefore, entities such as local government attorneys or individual citizens can bring civil action against people participating in unlicensed activity.  

I don't know laws governing Detroit, but in California, if partial payment is received by a landlord even after a 3 day notice to pay or quit, the tenant can use this as a defense in court.

I was relieved to be off that government teat. 

I know that it is guaranteed income because the government guarantees it. 

I've also spent $800 on a bankruptcy attorney to make sure my rights under the note are protected and to file a "transfer of claim" from the previous servicer, who initiated legal proceedings once the borrower started down bankruptcy road.My legal costs are governed by government guide lines and will not exceed the $1k, and the $800.I've hired Madison Management to service my note. 

Everything belongs to the government.

I'm not trying to pretend to be a government agency, but I want to make it clear that I am local and work exclusively in this county. 

You should easily be able to find what they have been in recent years within local government records or possibly realtor.com, zillow.com, etc.