Otherwise, qualifying as a real estate professional will be for not because you won't be able to change the losses from passive to active (which goes against other active income) 

In a 1031 exchange, would I be able to apportion the entire amount of the proceeds toward the investment (rental) unit so that I can qualify for a full exchange and effectively defer 100% of the gain?

Had a good bit of interest, but no one who actually has enough income and credit and job history to qualify.

The only thing is they have to go through a credit check to qualify, so if your tenant's credit is poor, they may not be able to take advantage of the service anyway. 

If there is a minor penalty you could enforce because the option wasn't formally executed, go light on it.

If the Tenant Buyer walks away from the deal I get to keep his Option payment, since it is non-refundable and I sell to another Tenant Buyer and get another Option Payment usually about $20k to $25k.I encourage buyers to get qualified for financing, give them a mortgage broker contact and to plan their lifestyle to be able to get a loan to exercise the Option.

I ended up connecting with a lawyer who has handled other issues for me and she said basically I waited too late in the month to start the eviction process and to sit tight as it seemed the tenant was actually moving out, but if they weren't out by designated day, circle back to start a formal eviction.What actually happened is that the tenant moved out on the date indicated and left some trash but the unit was generally clean and left in good shape.

My wife is a stay-at-home mom but handles leasing, tenant issues, repairs—basically runs the rentals.We’re exploring if she can qualify for Real Estate Professional Status to offset my W2 income.

This Monday, we finally had a qualified tenant apply that checked all the boxes - excellent credit score, clean background, high income-to-rent ratio, and her employer and rental manager had nothing but kind things to say about her.

______Dear James,I am writing to formally address the ongoing situation regarding your recent conduct, which I believe has crossed professional boundaries.