As far as 'qualifies as a trade or business' I have now found several explanations. It seems that having a single-family home that is being rented out can go either way in the courts, all depending on tenant interaction and maintenance to the property. My CPA's point is we are not putting any time or money into the rental, so it doesn't qualify. The tenant is steady and the loss is produced by depreciation only.
'hurting my situation' just means my refund is slightly smaller if I count the loss in the QBI.
