However, a local real estate investor in a similar situation once told me he couldn't get the tax deduction because he didn't qualify as a real estate professional on one of my posts in the forum. 

You have 3 options:1) Look locally for Class C & D rentals - but be forewarned, you need to know pros & cons!

Connect with professionals in the real estate industry, including investors, lenders, contractors, property managers, and other experts, to establish relationships and access potential opportunities.Begin by investing in small properties such as single-family homes, duplexes, or small multi-family properties to gradually grow your portfolio.

Even if they're SoCal local meet ups, there should definitely be some out of state investors or people similar to your situation.

You need to check with the local jurisdiction (your property manager should know),In this particular case, due to the length if you have a receipt you can show that to them and that should be good in most courts if this goes to majors.

I'm a local resident (Rockledge), realtor, and investor.

Hi @Megan Fitzgerald I would be sure to do your research online and it may be worth checking with a local real estate attorney as well or another local attorney who may be familiar with the your areas laws/regulations.

Please make sure you are working with a Subto expert (like from Pace's community) who is very experienced in working on these.

See who is around that can help.Of course if you start calling around, everyone will be an expert in STRs so that can be problematic.

If my plan were to continue with OOS properties, I'm sure I'd keep searching here or just go through OCF...but I made the decision to stick with my local area and a few overseas locations.It's also important to be realistic about what kind of return you will be getting with a TK investment....Anything in double-digits is unrealistic for any TK, IMO. 4-6% return is more realistic.