Supposedly you get the option if it is not rented for 14 or more days a year. It was not rented for 35 days last year.

I did the same thing for a while. Remember, that rental income is taxed in the state where your rental is, so you have to factor that in too (so for instance if your rental is in PA you need to pay PA tax on it, but not VA). The rental income you put in the number of days the rental was indeed a rental. And then you can take depreciation on your house.

It is a rental home. Report it in Schedule E. I don't see how you could claim it as a 2nd home at all.

I live in VA as a renter. I have my primary residence in another state which was rented last year due to my move here. The property was rented for 11 months. I am not sure if I should be claiming it solely as a rental home or if it should be claimed as a second home with the 11 month of rental expenses deducted. I am using turbotax and taxact at the moment (comparing as I go along). A CPA friend said I could go either way and to plug it in both ways to see what the numbers say.

The property is covered under a rental home insurance poilcy, not sure if that matters at all.