Glad to have more people here who understand both the engineering and tax side looking forward to learning from your posts. 

Infrastructure, utilities, roads, pads, and structures all have different classifications, and if someone starts allocating numbers without a defensible basis, that’s where problems show up.For my phased build, I’m trying to keep everything clean and tied to actual engineering, construction costs, and third‑party documentation so there’s no guesswork later.

I’ve identified when I want to buy and am now focused on reverse-engineering the steps needed to execute confidently and efficiently.What I’ve done so far:-Saved for down payment and closing costs-Actively building cash reserves-Funds parked in a HYSA to season-Drafted crystal-clear buy criteria (to be finalized once buying power is confirmed)-Focused heavily on education:-Various REI podcasts-The Multifamily Millionaire Vol. 1-The Book on Rental Property Investing-Rich Dad Poor DadNext up: The Book on Managing Rental Properties and 90 Days to Your First Investment-Recently became a BiggerPockets Pro member-Planning to join my local REIA nextNext steps I’m planning:-After the holidays, get pre-qualified with a local lender-Use that to establish a ballpark understanding of buying power-At the appropriate time, complete the pre-approval process (understanding the 90-day window)-Build out my team (agent and vendors) so I’m ready to move decisively once I begin making offersWhere I’d love advice from the community:Pre-qualification vs. pre-approval-For an FHA house hack targeting a June–July purchase, is getting pre-qualified early enough for meaningful planning, or should certain steps wait until I’m within 90 days and pre-approved?

I've got one of my own, spent hundreds of hours developing it, I only have to pay $0.22/lead plus the advertising costs.It's an Instant Cash Offer Engine, where visitors (from FB/Google ads) can get an instant cash offer for their property. 

BackgroundAge: 35Industry: Aerospace Engineering (W-2 income: $140k/yr)Household:Spouse (34), part-time nurse, stay-at-home momTwo children (4 years, 6 months)Location: High Cost of Living (South Bay, CA)Available Time: ~10–15 hours/weekFunds Available to invest: ~50kObjectivesPrimary Goal:Achieve W-2 income independence within ~15 years.Generate sufficient cash flow in the near term to allow my wife to be work optional.

I'm a software engineer working on a tool that allows landlords to connect to the bank accounts of potential tenants to verify their income, employment, previous addresses, and their identity.

We are both engineers, I'm civil and she's mechanical - but I feel like this gets overplayed as an advantage.Anyways, just wanted to come here, introduce myself, and give a shout out.

They’re strong, fire resistant, and perfect to use as ADUs to help with the housing crisis.I hired a structural engineer, paid for structural calcs, Title 24, and a full plan set, and tried to do everything the legal way.But California’s HCD blocks them just because they’re factory built, unless the manufacturer is on their multiy million-dollar approved list, even if the unit is safe and had structural calculations engineered by NASA still no because i haven't "paid membership" to playAfter dealing with HCD directors, city officials, mayors, and city managers, I realized the system isn’t really about helping people or affordable Housing it’s mostly bureaucratic B.S.Honestly, I hope california and HCD gets properly audited or investigated someday, because the way affordable housing gets blocked makes no sense.

Social media, Google are powerful engines that can reach people but you have to consistently post on the various platforms. 

Key is using a reputable engineer/accounting firm experienced with rental properties to make sure it’s IRS-proof.In my experience, if your property qualifies and you want to reduce taxable income early, it’s almost always worth considering.