@Bryan Rome I do have a great CPA but she is between firms right now so she will be up and running in a couple months. 

I have a 20 year professional career in private equity and currently work for a real estate private equity firm.  

This eats a significant portion of my cash flow and makes it impossible to eventually hire a property management firm once I do acquire more properties. 

Might as well rip the band aid (If you can legally do it).

You can go to H&R block and have extremely low fees, or go to a big CPA firm with specific specialties and pay huge amounts.But try reaching out to @Natalie Kolodij, she may give you an idea of what the rate for say a real estate specialized cpa is.

In California you are going to pay a lot more per hour for tax services than if you decided to find a firm in the south or the Midwest. 

Yes I am aware that rates can fluctuate and many people say only to use this for short term but I also know lots of people who have used this strategy for long term with success, just slightly riskier I guess.Option two: Get a cash out refi on my primary house which I could get somewhere between 120k-140k and use this money to fund the downpayment and other associated costs.Option three: Use a combination of either option one or option two PLUS pull some money out of my 401k to aid in a larger downpayment.

@Forrest ShealyThe truth of it is, most of these A/E firms hire warm bodies, and the young engineers don't really know how to add value 'during construction'. 

The address is 38021 Euclid Ave Willoughby if you want to take a look - its an old century home that used to house a medium sized law firm.

Dan Grubb @ ABNB Federal Credit Union - Commercial LenderBen Titter @ Shaheen Law Firm - Real Estate Attorney