I've read/skimmed through dozens of airbnb threads but there are just SOOO many on this site covering a wealth of topics it's hard to find all the advice I am seeking. 1) For those of you living in a property that you also rent out (either renting out extra rooms or renting out while you are temporarily away) do you attempt to deduct your utilities?

They show that the company utilized $2,810,186 in cash for operations in 2016 and $2,885,426 in 2017.

Non-grounded outlets and too few outlets are common in houses from the 1950s.

Check into common charges per month?

I am planning on utilizing all of the above to various degrees, but would like some insight on what has worked best for experienced investors.

(I'm not in a common property state -- would it matter where the property is located?

The tax advantages are obviously enormous but that sounds incredibly difficult to do in the Bay area's extremely aggressive real estate market (it's common for properties to receive > dozen offers with extremely minimal marketing, maybe just one open house and then to receive offers -- not uncommonly all cash -- 20-30% over the asking price). 

I’m looking to become more active in REI and utilize the equity I’ve built out in my property. 

And don't get me wrong this wouldn't even be a discussion if it wasn't strictly utilizing the low money down FHA owner occupied situation to take advantage of getting the property paid off over time by the tenants. 

It is fairly common for out of state investors (especially NY)  to get really excited about the thoughts of owning a MFR at prices that the C Class areas in CT offer.