@Tom Rairdon If you’ve owned your short-term rental (STR) for over a year, it likely qualifies for long-term capital gains (LTCG) treatment, taxed at lower rates (0%-20%) compared to your 33% ordinary income bracket.

You are allowed to charge for ALL damages beyond ordinary wear-and-tear.

The country is great for lifestyle and I believe most American (and other foreigners) buy for lifestyle.

If you had identified the property, the cost and the travel cost would have been added to the basis of the property and depreciated.These initial investigatory costs are treated differently for flipping and rentals.1) Flipping: The travel cost to investigate will be treated as a business cost and deducted as an ordinary travel cost.

Pics show like it's just an ordinary house - well taken care of like 731 Pine Ave.

In 2022, half of American renters spent over 30% of their income on rent and utilities, the highest percentage ever recorded. 

This would allow you to maximize tax deductions at ordinary tax rates.

Quote from @Conrado Balicusto: Quote from @Chris Seveney: @Ryan DaultonWe use it for private lending - because the tax benefits are lost with real estate When lending usually it’s taxed at ordinary income rates if using your own cash so using a sdira I prefer for lending and my w2 income savings for real estate to maximize tax efficiency  Thank you for the insight on private lending and tax efficiency.

Day traders are not exempt unless they elect mark-to-market (MTM) accounting, which eliminates wash sale tracking but taxes gains as ordinary income.To manage taxes, track trades closely, avoid overlapping purchases, or consider MTM election if trading actively.

That puts you in the top 60% of Americans.