This is clearly a business and on the face of it you want to get to where the business should be.

If business is doing well, it could make sense to get your license.

If you get caught up in a legal dispute involving multiple defendants and your exposure is minimal or even nonexistent, plaintiffs and some judges are going to frame the case to target you instead of the responsible party because you are the one with the deep pockets.

Which will bring plenty of other investors and general business to the area.

It's a more involved strategy, where you purchase properties that need work, renovate them to boost their value, rent them out, then refinance at their new, higher value.

Purchase price: $390,000 Cash invested: $25,000 House hacking is a strategy that involves reducing or eliminating your housing costs by renting out a portion of your residence.

In the meantime, think "time value of money", you get the use of that money to leverage into another property, do needed renovations on an existing property, pay for your kids college tuition, or keep your business afloat until this pandemic goes away and you can take a needed vacation.

Even if you create a non-CA LLC, if you are managing the business from California, you will likely be deemed to be "doing business" in California and therefore likely subject to CA taxes.

The IRS cross-references your 1098s with claimed deductions, raising concerns if discrepancies arise.Private Lenders and Forms 1098: Private lenders are required to send Forms 1098, but only if they meet specific criteria:The private lender operates as a “trade or business,” distinguishing professional lenders from casual lenders like friends or family members.The loan is issued to an individual or a disregarded single-member LLC.The loan is a mortgage secured by real property.The annual interest paid on the mortgage was $600 or more for the previous year.The conditions leave some room for interpretation, particularly regarding the “trade or business” clause.

Are you still in the business in Clemson?