The IRS definition of in service is simply available as an STR before the end of the tax year.irs also requires an average stay of less than 7 days.  

I don't know what the name of this banana stuff is, but when asking for bids you might want to ask him if this is something that they could swap out for a more neutral odor product In their arsenal of products.Good Luck!

It was refreshing to work with someone who understands investors and has a variety of loan products available for more complicated financing. 

Quote from @William Thompson: One thing I’ve noticed working with a lot of investors is this:People spend a ton of time researching markets, strategies, and financing…but almost no time building the habits that actually keep their portfolio healthy long-term.Here’s the simple truth:Your systems will make or break your growth.Not the market.Not the deal.Not even the interest rate.I’ve seen investors with average deals but great systems outperform people buying in the best markets with none.Things like:Keeping clean booksTracking expenses in real timeReviewing your numbers monthlyHaving a game plan before tax seasonThese aren’t exciting, but they’re the difference between “I think I made money” and “I know exactly what’s working.”Real estate is more forgiving than most businesses… but eventually, disorganization catches up.The investors who last are the ones who treat it like a business early — even when they only own one door.What’s one system or habit that’s helped you stay organized as your portfolio grows? 

That is the product that I use and it is great.

These are the exact areas I dig into as well, because they quickly reveal whether someone can realistically meet the participation requirements that drive STR tax benefits.Understanding W-2 demands, average stay length, hands-on involvement, and the dynamics with a property manager tells you almost everything about how the STR will perform and how the tax strategy should be structured.Most investors underestimate how much these factors impact both their numbers and their ability to use the losses.

When you’re comparing different submarkets inside the same metro, what’s the one metric you’ve found actually separates a “solid rental area” from an “average one”?

Or borrow the down payment or do hard money and then refinance into a longer term loan product?

I build but no rental product lately.

I would say my product is on the nicer side for the area. 255k sounds reasonable for an appraisal.