So I don't bother with recording time any longer since I'm quite confident I meet that standard, no safe harbor is therefore needed.If you have multiple properties as I do you might be better served by simply working up a list upfront of all factors tending to establish the trade or business nature of your activities instead of tying yourself to unwieldy contemporaneous logs that must be kept ever year indefinitely.My list has about 30 factors that tend to establish trade or business status, very likely far more than I would ever need to prevail if challenged.  

And have lots of confident cause there’s so much different ways to start off honestly

Once I learned that I did belong, and built my confidence, nothing could stop me!

However, I do know a couple things that make me fairly confident of my answer.Aside from something like a small annual fee (which you’ve already said is $100/year), one of the main benefits of HELOCs is that if you don’t use them you don’t have to pay.

Have an answer to all of them ready to go and follow it up with a question so you maintain control of the call.That should boost your confidence through the roof. 

I'm confident I will be able to find work; I've not had problems with the job market in the past and unemployment rates among chemist are low.

I am highly confident that if I got one I would have no problem making the payment every month, but I am concerned that I will not be able to get a mortgage to begin with without a longer employment history.

I am confident that I can get the rents I desire from either market rate tenants or Section 8.

My income is sound even during covid and ( knock on wood ) And confident I can swing this ...BUT - id like other opinions.

Not every contractor posses the same skills and their price will reflect that, it’s not bad just the truth.Keep confident in yourself and know you will learn construction along the way!