You can start deducting depreciation and other expenses from the date the property is "placed in service", which is not the same thing as the date someone first books it. 

Here are some additional activities that count, toward real estate professional and material participation hours.Research market for real estate transaction opportunities; current office market rates; terms of financingMaking offer contracts for properties that you end up buyingNegotiation for acquisition of rental properties that you end up purchasing; including directing due diligence and managing financial projections/business plansObtaining financing for properties that you purchaseProperty inspectionsAdvertisingMeeting with Prospective Tenants/showing properties to prospective tenantsNegotiate, obtain, & review proposals and contracts with vendors (insurance, utilities, etc) for property servicesReview and Negotiate The Terms of Sale AgreementsStaging and Decorating3rd party contractor, vendor, or service provider supervision

Look into their marketing efforts, tenant screening processes, and response times.Service Audit: Conduct an audit of the services provided by Ace Management and Reality to ensure they are actively marketing your properties and maintaining tenant relations effectively.4.

Anyone have any recommendations for any of the following:-Local fix/flip mastermind groups or general real estate investing groups-Reputable hard money lenders with a good reputation - ideally one that has reliable contractor references-Fix/flip friendly contractors-Fix/flip friendly agent that has hyper-local market knowledge of North Dallas markets-Wholesalers worth talking to

No time for a full lesson on this, sorry, but the point is: it does not necessarily reduce your taxes.If it does, it's not dollar-for-dollar.

I would love to speak with local investors, agents, and lenders in Sacramento.

Some simple Math:Lets say you do a Seattle 4plex HouseHack w/ 5% down conventional (a new loan option for multifamily that's better than 3.5% down FHA, just DM me if you want the full rundown on why).

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

They aren’t pushy and are up front about their services.

@Geoffrey Paugam- agreed ...if you are  needing to use financing to purchase - make sure to have a full loan pre approval in place  before searching / offering for a new place .