Field notes for residential investors and their CPAs — plain-spoken essays on the tax law, the methodology, and the strategy of accelerated depreciation for residential property.
No study is “audit-proof” — and the word is a red flag. What audit-ready actually means, why a study doesn't by itself raise your odds, and the documentation that holds up if the IRS asks.
Read the essay →Bought a rental and never did a study? A look-back claims every year of missed depreciation in your current tax year through a §481(a) adjustment — no amended returns. Here's the mechanic, with the numbers.
Read the essay →Real pricing on a residential study, why it costs far less than a five-figure commercial one, and a dollar-by-dollar look at whether the fee actually pays for itself.
Read the essay →For most 1-4 unit rentals and STRs, a physical walk-through isn't required and rarely changes the result. What we use instead — and why the study is still audit-ready.
Read the essay →The four variables that decide whether a study pencils — basis, marginal rate, holding period, and usability — a property-value rule of thumb with a worked example, and the cases where it's better to skip it.
Read the essay →A long-standing IRC §469 rule lets STR owners deduct cost-seg losses against W-2 income — if material participation holds up. Here's what the YouTube version glosses over.
Read the essay →The OBBB restored 100% bonus depreciation for property placed in service after January 19, 2025. Here's how it changes the math.
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