If I were to manage it myself, and have an occupancy of equal to or less than 7 days on average, would I be able to take the expenses that I have incurred in fixing up the unit, furnishing it, and marketing it and write this off against my W2 income? 

It teaches you the basics of how to buy a property, some financial management, landlord & property management skills. 

As many as you can- even if you don’t know the material yet.

I love everything about managing the property, and even fly up there between tenants to get it ready for the next one!

Lack of risk management is the biggest mistake people make in real estate.

Your rehab costs, this is the hardest to calculate, will depend greatly on location I did a mostly cosmetic rehab in dc was 160k did a similar project just a 1.5 hour away it was 60k, materials assuming your not doing something super high end seem to be 25-35k for a a sub 2k square foot house, again labor is tough to calculate, but ask around your local market what people are generally paying for things4.

🌟Let's dive into the Billy saga: I've rocked it with the US Marine Corps, spearheaded projects with NextEra Integrated (a top commercial solar company) as a site manager, and even had a stint as a warehouse manager for a top material storehouse in NJ.

Most property management companies offer a "Lease Only" service.

(looks expensive though)I also have a solid connection with a contractor who does fast work at his labor costs if I buy and source the materials.

Thinking about setting up a property management company to use for my rentals to show the income as part of the management company rather than personal finances.