I have a followup question - I will realize a lot of capital gain from this home in Idaho, so I think unless I purchase a new primary residence I will have to pay that capital gains tax. 

What are true returns for comparison, before or after Income taxes? 

Avoiding the ravages and savages of the divorce court system. 

There's zero reason to do this when there are plenty of options to avoid it. 

You can take any proceeds tax free and roll into a different investment. 

I looked into this as well since I'm getting terribly bent over on my w-2 taxes. 

So many variables can turn a deal sideways from 1 hour to the next - i.e. inspection findings, title issues, contracts, financing issues, taxes, dept. of buildings/local municipalities, etc.I'm glad to hear you made it through the challenges, and it sounds like you'll be able to leverage this experience as you grow your portfolio.All the best to you along your journey!

But as stated probably not for tax purposes for the seller. 

However, i would like a person with multiple rentals to help guide me to avoid some simple mistakes.

I don't foresee Texas implementing a similar law, but I'd be interested to know how this change has affected others.Side note: It's not the Section 8 tenants that I'm avoiding, it's the government bureaucracy that comes with it.I believe the majority of the US population lives in states with the same law.How do we navigate it in those states?