I would not allow access to the rest of the house as, but would allow access to backyard area w/ patio/fire pit/hot tub. 

I understand taking deductions, but there is only so many ordinary expenses you can deduct.

They look behind the furniture and the bed (checking for outlets without covers).I heard from another landlord a couple years back that the City of Garland made him spend thousands tearing up and replacing a concrete patio because there was a crack and it was a trip hazard.

I would suggest repairing and staining the fence, pressure washing patio and walkway, fixing the blinds that look crooked in almost every picture, and removing the desk lamps in that room.

No reason to hydro jet if they are replacing , backfill and bed the pipe is not a line iten , its putting sand around the pipe 6 inches and filling in the trench . 8 ft isnt that deep , still need a trehch box , but nothing out of the ordinary .  

The property has 1,528 sq ft of living space, a 2-car garage, a covered patio, and sits on a large corner lot.

If you are able to implement a real estate professional status tax strategy (REP) you can use passive losses from syndication deals to lower your ordinary W2 income.

@Hobart King I agree with the others, sounds like a crazy high amount to pay for insurance on a rental (assuming there’s not something out of the ordinary).I will say, I don’t think you can “just not have insurance” and then “get personal umbrella coverage to cover the liability”.

I not taking about getting some miracle deal or something out of the ordinary.

Once you qualify for REPS, prior year suspended losses can be used to offset current year ordinary income.