I got my GC license a couple years ago so I could build houses myself as I was sick of dealing with contractors.I've hired plenty of contractors that were not licensed/insured and it went fine.

There are a couple of unique tax laws to real estate investors - 1031 exchange, bonus depreciation on certain improvements, Qualified Opportunity Zones, real estate professional status, etc.Make sure that the accountant you interview to understand the above concepts.best of luck!

Then my second house which was freshly turned had a tenant that up and left after a couple of months and caused excessive damage. 

I'd likely just agree to break the lease with a couple months of rent as a penalty rather than force these people to continue being tenants in my property....you never know what will happen to the condition of the property.

I have a feeling that tons of landlords will be in the whole in the next couple of months. 

With respect to timing it has to do with a couple of factors.

I worked adjacent to a couple of rehab teams on the admin side.

The way it works out, for 2025 if your taxable income plus any long-term capital gains amounts total up to less than $126,700 (assuming married filing jointly standard deduction of $30,000 plus the 0% LTCG tax bracket of $96,700) right now the capital gains tax rate is 0%.

It’s just a matter of diving in and taking the steps.That said, I have a couple of questions:1.

I wonder how people feel about the Wichita market now that rates are a bit higher and the craziness of the last couple years seems to be subsiding.