Start-up costs are also deductible but are amortized over 15 years with a limit of 5k.Start-up costs have strict rules and your case might not be the same as this one.Case Summary:Timeline line of eventsStarted investigating property: FebPut first contract (canceled): MayBought first property: December 30thWhether a taxpayer is engaged in a trade or business is determined using a facts and circumstances test under which courts have focused on the following three factors that indicate the existence of a trade or business:Whether the taxpayer undertook the activity intending to earn a profit;Whether the taxpayer is regularly and actively involved in the activity; andWhether the taxpayer's activity has actually commenced.On the basis investor testimony, we may assume that he undertook this activity to make a profit and that he regularly and actively engaged in it.

We toured the property and went under contract the next day.

Hi Antonio,The most common way investors scale their portfolios is as follows:1) A cash-out refinance on their current investment properties.

Question - A lot of times there is a name on file but they don't live on the premises, how do I actually find the number for the property owner?

I am looking to buy more properties but putting down 20-25% each time plus closing costs etc is a lot of money that I also want to allocate to other goals.I have heard partnerships are a strategy to leverage other people’s money to create deals that will benefit both sides depending on terms that are setup. 

Impressive Rent-to-Price Ratios: Average rents for 3-bed homes are about $800-$900/month, potentially yielding 12-15% gross returns.Economic Transition: While historically industrial, Bay City is diversifying into healthcare, education, and service sectors.Revitalization Efforts: Downtown redevelopment and community initiatives are breathing new life into the city.Strong Cash Flow Potential: Low property taxes and insurance costs contribute to robust monthly cash flows.Let's crunch some numbers on a hypothetical deal:Purchase Price: $75,000Down Payment (20%): $15,000Mortgage (4.5% interest, 30-year fixed): $304/monthProperty Tax: $100/monthInsurance: $60/monthEstimated Repairs/CapEx: $100/monthProperty Management (10%): $85/monthTotal Monthly Expenses: $649Potential Rent: $850/monthEstimated Monthly Cash Flow: $201Cash-on-Cash Return: About 16.08% (not including appreciation or tax benefits)These are rough estimates, and individual properties will vary.

Also, they use examples where properties are selling for $500K and up which is not where many of us are investing.  

We got success on Lake Properties here in the Bay Area, let me know if you like to talk about it.

It took about 6 months of which I did the majority of the work but I was able to turn it into a 3bed 2bath house and sold it for $140,000.00 and a nice $50,000.00 profit.Now I was hooked on distressed properties but had decided I didn't much like the selling aspect of it.

My plan is to use the LLC to acquire properties and to be the employer for the property manager when I actually acquire some walls and a roof besides my own personal home.