Finally have enough to consider making a play here and looking to find some locals and read further experiences here. 

When it is a new development, it isn't uncommon to see someone use the date the Certificate of Occupancy was issued - perhaps that marks the "ready", but it still might not be "available".So you can certainly have a property in service in a given year, but not actually have any rental income - but certainly your facts and circumstances are much better if you can actually get a tenant in there, that (should) shore up your defense on that question ever coming up unless you are playing weird games just to get a given in service date for tax purposes.

Unsure how market will play out with elections. 

Let us know how this plays out!  

I understand the cash situation, so maybe this becomes a stacking/1031 Exchange play.

  * A bonus play would be purchasing a small commercial property with at least a 25 space lot in the aforementioned areas; the idea is to convert the lot into paid parking to increase value.   

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Those small costs add up and they do not follow though with holding security, or communicating with tenant as I would like but play God rather in deciding how to apply the law.

I have started to understand the business I'm playing in better.

The idea is intriguing, but online research has yielded conflicting opinions and "pay to play membership plans; can't get a straight answer whether this is legit or scam and not worth the front-end subscription payments.