If I want to retain full value of my property than I need to maintain a lease for all tenants.

Either way, as long as they are legitimate expenses related to your locating, purchase, maintaining your investment properties you can write them off.

I am just trying to find out if there is any way I can legally get that money back by charging through rent or something else, or if I am just going to have to suck it up and live with losing the money.I did not have utilities set up to turn off because I cannot turn off the water and electric- I have a pool and pay a company to maintain it weekly, they need water and electric to do that.Which leaves only gas and the gas company in that town has a history of screwing things up and being difficult, which is hard to deal with from across the country, so I just figured I would leave it to help the tenants and me.

Heroin addicts commit all sorts of crime to maintain their habit.  

His music transcends time; real music has a way of doing that.

Now, if you want to achieve that in 5 years, you need to acquire 5 units per year.wow - 20-40 properties to manage sounds like an aweful pain in the rear.I have a LOT more than that and I manage and maintain all the properties myself in 12-16 hours per week.

The bank will always maintain first position.

What you really should be buying is an advisor who is up on the current rules and regulations.Depending on the state there can be a high annual charges to maintain the entity.

That is an alternative to you maintaining the present 1st and wrapping it with a loan to them.There are many options.

They want to see the portfolio cash flows.The market has changed a bit and your portfolio puts you in the big leagues compared to the normal part time or full time RE investor (most have fewer than 10 properties).