I’ve done a little research regarding tax deductions for the portion I am renting out but was looking for more advise for precisely calculating how much of the house I can offset with depreciation for tax purposes.

Many investors never bother to understand precisely how a passive investment will work. 

I own a painting company here in Albany, OR (PJs Precision Painting LLC) and have been steady flowing since i started up.

This is precisely what I am afraid of...But it seems like every landlord who has responded has had a different approach, and I guess it really depends on the tenant in question.

Don't take on more debt than you can handle, but realize that real estate is as powerful as it is precisely because of debt.

This is precisely how I got my start ... rented the Glendale house rather than selling, bought another place, rinse and repeat as necessary until filthy rich.

This is precisely the reason why so many real estate investors go into lending.

Of course, it is also possible he knew precisely what he was doing, as folks come in all sizes and character. 

It's so precise.  

To be more precise, RoomScore has done a masterful job producing an interactive map summarizing how different cities stack up.Sacramento gets a D+ but I'm still trending at 20% over my annual baseline.