Most newer investors aren't liquid enough to be able to even consider true appreciation plays and often end up buying C and B- properties.

1. attorney and realtor here. seller should keep the deposit here bc buyer breached contract (assuming there was no home sale contingency in the contract, which it sounds like there wasn't). 2. it'll be hard to go after buyer agent for damages bc seller would have to prove that buyer agent knowingly withheld info. honestly, just keep buyer's deposit and re-list (the deposit is essentially "liquidated damages" which are damages everyone agrees to upfront to avoid costly fighting when sh*t goes down).3. definitely seller agent should have closely reviewed buyer's preapproval/POF. when i represent sellers, i even call the buyer's lender to discuss their offer (i do this before my seller accepts the offer). that typically ferrets out any problems my seller should be aware of as far as buyer's financing is concerned. honestly, i think if the listing agent had vetted the preapproval and/or called buyer's lender, you'd have avoided this situation completely.4. to protect yourself going forward, make sure you always review buyer's preapproval/POF. preapprovals give so much info to sellers, like what type of loan buyer is using (for instance, FHA should make your spidey senses tingle bc you're being put on notice that buyer does not have a bunch of cash available for the deal, so you'll likely get squeezed for some $$$ during the inspection period). preapprovals will also note whether there are contingencies that need to be taken care of before buyer can close (like a home sale contingency). i'm big on picking up the phone and calling buyer's lender before having my sellers accept an offer. that might be something to ask of your agent moving forward as well.

When it comes to real estate, here's a general list of eligible assets and their depreciable lifespans that you should know: Residential Rental Property = 27.5 yearsThis includes any building or structure where 80% or more of its gross rental income is from residential units.That means:- Apartment buildings- Single-family rental homes- Duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes- Mobile homes (used for residential rental)- Any kind of residential lodging facility where the primary purpose is long-term rentalCommercial Property = 39 yearsThis includes non-residential properties like:-Office buildings-Retail stores and shopping centers-Warehouses-Industrial complexes-Hotels and motels that do not qualify as residential rental propertyLand Improvements = 15 yearsThese include sidewalks, roads, fencing, some landscaping, and parking lots that are separate from the building.Personal Property = 5 or 7 yearsPersonal property used in a rental activity usually has a 5 or 7-year life.This includes most furniture, appliances, carpeting and various machinery.Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) = 15 yearsGenerally, this includes any improvements made to the interior of a non-residential building after the building was placed in service, excluding elevators, enlargements, and the internal structural framework.Computers and Related Peripheral Equipment = 5 yearsVehicles = 5 yearsNote that land itself is not depreciable.

They let you snap a photo of receipts on the go, automatically store them, and sync with your accounting system.

I have no desire to be part of any lawsuit or liquidation event.

Are you just storing contacts, or are you actively leveraging data to close more deals and raise more capital?

That frozen cash, when defrosted, allows you to move your now li quid cash forward into bigger gains. 

Just make sure you’re running it as a legitimate rental business (Schedule E won’t capture those benefits as well as a business structure might).If this were me, and I had the liquidity to stretch from $50K to $75K without draining reserves, I’d do it — especially since you’re getting both cash flow and appreciation potential.

For most people, it’s cleaner to use the $500K exclusion, pay tax on the rest, and then look at reinvesting into rentals or other assets that generate new depreciation.Pros of using a DST for your situation:- Potential to defer 100% of the gain above $500K- Diversify into passive investments through the trust- Create a structured income stream- May allow estate planning advantages if structured properlyCons:- You lose direct control of the funds- Ongoing trustee and legal fees ($10K to $15K setup plus annual 1 to 1.5% management)- IRS scrutiny risk, DSTs aren’t directly defined in the Code; they rely on private letter rulings and case law- Complexity: You must close through a third-party trustee before receiving funds- Hard to partially use DST and retain liquidity, usually an all-or-some approach....This post does not create a CPA-client relationship.

If you still can't get in touch  with her I might try getting in touch with a local pet store that sells snakes and see if they can take it.