Biggest lesson in notes: the paper is only as good as the collateral and the borrower’s behavior, so buy docs and pay history, not marketing.

You could write three books in the same book or just have 3 pages of paper and call it a trilogy. 

If the paper trail shows clear negligence that breached duty and caused the loss, consult a real estate attorney to assess recoverability and costs; if it’s gray or contract-driven, negotiate a settlement through the brokerage’s E&O carrier.

Sounds like you're current as well so I would assume on paper you can afford the loss.

People forget that appreciation (and peace of mind) often outweighs the short-term “cash flow on paper.”The Section 8 portion part is spot on too — many new investors think it’s all guaranteed rent when really, the tenant portion can still cause headaches.Out of curiosity, what markets or property classes have given you the best mix of appreciation and stability so far?

They look good on paper but have more negatives than I personally think they are worth. 

So from a pure tax deduction standpoint, nothing changes by simply moving the title to an LLC.Here’s what does matter for tax purposes:Your ability to use losses: Even if the property is generating a paper loss (thanks to depreciation, repairs, etc.), you're often limited to $25,000 of passive losses per year—and that phases out completely if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $150,000.Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) or the STR Loophole: To use rental losses to offset W-2 or other active income, you must either:Qualify as a Real Estate Professional (750+ hours, primarily in real estate) and materially participate in the property.Or, if it's a short-term rental (average stay under 7 days), materially participate (100+ hours and more than anyone else) to convert it from passive to non-passive—even without REPS.Standard deduction vs. itemizing: You mentioned your CPA said deductions didn’t help due to the standard deduction.

Most investors focus on “price,” but smart investors focus on structure.A $10,000 discount looks nice on paper—but the impact on your monthly cash flow, debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), and approval odds can be underwhelming compared to the same amount in seller credits.Here’s why:A $10k price reduction might save you around $60 per month on a standard 30-year fixed loan.A $10k seller credit, used to buy down your rate, could reduce your payment by $140 per month or more.That’s more than double the savings—and it improves your property’s DSCR, which can be the difference between getting approved or not.In a world where every fraction of a percent matters, understanding how to allocate negotiation dollars is a hidden superpower.

It’s easy to get caught up in “fully rented” sounding good on paper without realizing what kind of tenants are actually there.I’ll definitely take your advice to dig deep into rent rolls, payment history, and tenant backgrounds before moving forward on anything like that.

Do your own calculation utilizing an actual paper form and by following the form instructions very carefully and see what you get.BTW - I use TurboTax and for some very odd reason Sch B was showing pennies on my entries, but nowhere else in my return did that happen all were rounded as expected.