It is a bit too big to rent, so not sure it makes sense to hang onto it - but I do have a VA loan so that might be useful, if I can reuse that for the 4-plex.Wife-unit will not be wild about this plan either - although, she does get the whole tax aspect of it. 

I know quite a few investors around me that hang their licenses at a flat rate brokerage, Sand Dollar Realty (and in all honesty I may go that route at some point).

It just is, and if you are going to hang out here, you need to realize that this pretty much their living room. 

With just starting I didn't want to leave this person hanging.

Any investor/agent, where do you hang your license?

Doubtful the good paying tenant would want to hang around the "druggie" while this is going on, from what I learned, didn't know each other that well.

For me it was becoming a real estate agent then hanging with and working closely with agents with 10 to 30 years experience learning the ropes while I got paid. invaluable and rewarding.

As long as you rent it out though, you'll have that hanging over your head, that if the city ever finds out they can fine you substantially and possibly force you to rip the unit out of the basement.If you personally wanted to live in the basement again you could try to do that, renting out the other floor(s) but I still think it's a stretch or shell game, and there's really still an illegal unit, you've just changed which one it is.I hope that helps - let me know if you have any other questions!

No reason to hang on to it if it's a money pit.Get it off your books, just sell it.

I watched it hang out on the MLS for several months back in 2010, I got it far below the asking price because it was a family's second home they had purchased for an elderly parent.