He gave me three scenarios which were absolutely crazy.One was from a landlord who used to live in Paterson, NJ, many decades ago and has had a realtor friend manage the property for the last few years while they are retired in Italy.

I just wanted to introduce myself and brag on my town - we are experiencing a lot of growth with new developments that are geared towards bringing in Columbus folks who want to live in a more affordable area.

Also want to be sure that it is a town that is safe for families and younger couples since we would be house hacking and having tenants living beside us.

But instead of getting steered in a direction of right/left per your example, I'm told "you shouldn't be messing with concepts you don't understand" and "it's not simple, go get some advice from a real tax pro" who in all likelihood will just be an accountant who files taxes for a living and has no real experience with these concepts and will tell me it's not worth it, like Mike did. 

You want to live in Odessa not San Antonio.

I live in New York (for now 🙄) and will be buying investment property outside NY state.

I live in the Seattle area, but I work with a team on the ground that helps me locate deals, project manage rehab and provides property management.

The cost of living is extremely low compared to other cities and you can still many many positive cash flowing and 1% deals here.

I need a new job that aligns better with my passions, where I can make enough money to live in the meantime - so something in sales - but I legally can’t get a real estate license, and can’t go without pay in the meantime before sales. 

The tenant has been living there for just over 10 years.