@Jonathan Jaime VelardeMy advice is to not reduce your retirement savings and instead find other ways to scrape together funds for investing in RE.

I'm looking to move to a few housekeepers that I can pay directly to reduce the overhead associated with the cleaning service.I've been pretty hands on and focused on keeping my places in tip-top condition with amenities with the goal of five star reviews, higher price point and higher quality guests.

We rent them completely separately and assign parking to reduce conflict. 

I try to allow pets every chance I get but find other ways to reduce my risk.

(3)  Would the foregoing strategy effectively reduce the net income of the company and thereby reduce the self employment tax (i.e., by making the interest on the loan ordinary income to the owner)?

It is a major part of the North American economy and very common where I operate my business.You make sure in advance that you are getting a reduced price to offset more than your tax credit would amount to.

The fact is I have given him many opportunities to leave and release him from the lease for health reason (since Jan 2016) But he has not, All in all I think he is trying to manipulate us into selling our home to him for next to nothing (I have an email from his realtor - as late as Jan 28 1017 -  listing ridiculous issues with the home and how an agreement cannot be reached unless we significantly reduce the price) We have no purchase agreement and no 4 year lease agreement and we have been telling him that we intend on selling once his lease is up since the beginning of his current lease.

Depreciation decreases your taxable income, without reducing your mortgage qualifying income. 

@Tristan S.To my knowledge, they've never been tested in the courts but I do know that many investor friends of mine are believers in them because they allow the investor to segregate properties (typically putting no more than 2 - 3 properties in each series) therefore reducing the likelihood of a lawsuit wiping out the investors entire inventory.  

Putting exterior rodent stations outside the home typically will help reduce the population as well.