If it is not available for rent then it is just a second home. You can deduct mortgage interest (up to $750,000 in value so if your combined home value of both houses is greater than that then you may have a limited deduction) and property taxes (up to $10,000 total) but that is it. Any improvements to the home become part of it's 'basis' or the price you paid for it. Any regular expenses for the home are not deductible.
If it is available for rent then you can deduct regular expenses (utilities and maintenance, etc.) as well as depreciation for the home. Improvements are added to the depreciation deduction.
If you convert the home back to personal use then that is just something that you indicate on the tax return. While it is being used as a second home you can't take any of the rental deductions, just the taxes and mortgage interest. If you convert it back to a rental property you pick up depreciation right where you left off. There are no red flags from deciding to become snow birds.
Whatever you do keep track of the depreciation over the rental periods. Save those numbers. When you sell the property even if it has at that point become your primary residence the depreciation needs to be entered into your tax return in order to be recaptured and taxed.
@1housewizard
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