I bought a property and ended up moving out shortly after due to unforeseen circumstances.

It's all coming together quite nicely, and thanks to all the great insight from this site and from many books, my standards for cash flow have gotten extremely high, and we're killing it on our COC for the most recent three properties.Where we are now is...we just got a very nice cash payout from some complicated circumstances surrounding my wife's company being bought out and all retained employees getting huge retention bonuses.

You were able to adapt to different circumstances and had the money to do so. 

If you or your spouse qualify as a 'real estate professional' and meet material participation regarding the property, the tax losses become non-passive and can offset other taxable income.Good convo to have with your tax CPA/EA who can consider your facts, circumstances, and goals.

I’ve had many weird circumstances in my 40 years like this where time and space have been precisely timed up to permit a “ window” ( pun intended) of opportunity for an almost supernatural occurrence to take place .looking back  I’ve escaped death on several occasions myself this way .

People who had bought more house than they could afford, or whose circumstances changed when the economy went south, lost their homes because they could not afford to pay their mortgages.

Best to speak with an attorney and CPA who can examine your individual facts and circumstances.

And in these circumstances, locking a 9% returning asset for 30 years doesn't seem a bad deal at all when I compare it with other potential investment opportunitiesAlso, tying up money is relative here.

Do not under any circumstances invest in welfare tenants.

There's always risk involved, and unforeseen circumstances, but using your lender as a resource can help mitigate that risk.