> don't have to pay property taxes [...] on the vacant ones Property tax abatement depends on local laws, correct? On the other hand, I assume you can claim t

> don't have to pay property taxes [...] on the vacant ones Property tax abatement depends on local laws, correct? On the other hand, I assume you can claim the usual boatload of expenses (e.g. mortgage interest, upkeep, etc.) against vacant properties, thus generating a paper loss to offset income generated by other properties or activities. The real lynchpin appears to be: vacant properties are allowed to contribute tax losses to their owner(s). Whereas in reality, what we probably want is something more akin to "If you have not fully utilized (i.e. leased for a percentage of the timespan) a property in the last X months, you can no longer claim any tax expenses for value-based (i.e. mortgage, financing, property taxes) components of the property. You can still claim expenses related to the improvement of the property (e.g. maintenance, etc.)".