I added a bathroom (owners suite), took out the drop ceilings in the living room, opened up the floor plan, and new kitchen/ bathrooms/roof/HVAC/Electrical/Plumbing.

Make sure water and electricity are paid by the tenant.

New kitchen, bathroom, added an owner's suite to the home, new plumbing and electrical, the HVAC worked but I had to replace the coil and duct, refinished floors.

Stone foundations, cast iron sewer main stacks, & outdated electrical systems (knob & tube) are a few things to watch for.

Is there a rule or guideline you follow to balance taxes so you are claiming appropriately but not to your future borrowing power?

The big money is in 4+ units where you increase the rents and the rent increase automatically increases the Cap Rate and the property's re-sale value.I would like to see more people pushing people to understand the power of multi-units and the very strange thing is that I skim through every real estate book I can get my hands on and every book I ever read is missing the very most important facets of multi-unit investing and every book is full of pure B.S. when it comes to the subjects to the pitfalls of multi-unit investing.

This power couple will help you design and build an awesome house.

You  can always try this from Home Depot:Instant Power 128 oz.

Our move in packet has the contact to the tradesmen who worked the plumbing/ heating / electrical on the house.

Most tenants pay for their own gas and electric.