I know I can't lose money if I'm not making money to buy more stuff...but I can use my DH's money to do that. So its still a loss, right? But now if I lose for three years & then some....what's the IRS do..shut me down? That's what I'm getting at more so. People invest in tax write offs all the time, right? So is there a point that the IRS won't look at that write off anymore? If I buy a building, but don't rent it out for three years, so the mortgage, utilities are just wasted...do they come knocking in three years and tell me to sell it? Or give it up?