I've brokered a number of 1031 transactions and can help with that as well. 

Over the 30+ years my wife and I have walked and pencilled well over a thousand possible deals. 

Without knowing all of your specifics, I'd say that it's only worth holding on to if you can reasonably expect to have some really good appreciation in the near future (like 5 yrs)....Or, in the case where it would run well as a vacation rental, you could switch the usage, maybe?

Well I think he was planning to pay it but it wasn't long overdue so he certainly wasn't expecting a lien to be placed on the house one day prior to sale.

I bet that essentially no one is starting new construction projects, which bodes extremely well for owners 2-4 years from now.- Prices for insurance policies will never go back down, but it is not unreasonable to expect costs to rise at a more predictable pace from here.

If you want it to run well, you may be spending a lot of time at the property.

Some have been on the market for weeks", that doesn't bode well for renting of any kind really.

However, the 0% interest only lasts for about 12-15 months but definitely more than enough time to complete the brrrr cycle twice or maybe three times in your case since you're a contractor as well!

I highly recommend a well-qualified REALTOR who works with investors and knows how to help you best.7.

(well you said "negligible".