e.g. real estate professional (Sec 469) with trade or business (Sec 162) with material participation (Sec 469)You do not have to materially participate in an activity for that activity to be a trade or business. 

Married filing separate" has many repercussions and there's a possibility of unintended consequences.

Everything is a trade-off.

Drug use and theft has essentially been made legal with no consequences if caught.   

I have a basic feasibility done from an architect...But to get the numbers, Is it just a matter of calling up each trade?

According to the dictionary definition, a recession is: “A period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.”During the last recession, a dramatic fall in home values helped cause it.However, according to research done by CoreLogic, home values weren’t negatively impacted as they were in 2008 during the previous four recessions.Home price change is the last 4 recessions:During the four recessions prior to 2008, home values depreciated only once (at a level that was less than 2%).

If you're willing to trade the time and effort, your best shot is finding a deal yourself... but remember, this requires experience and skill as well. 

But I do things that are rarely recommended--- like trading work (mostly low skill work) for rent.

But, I have been tempted to sell/trade up out of boredom, or a need to feel like I’m actually involved in the business.

My property management company is 4 months behind on our first project together, and to expedite completion, we've asked them to sub-out, but I don't want to pay anymore holdings costs due to incompetence, don't want the deadline extended, and don't want the quote to change.Also, what sort of consequences/reductions do you require if a contract misses a deadline?