If you can rent the property out and hold onto it indefinitely, the market will eventually recover and you'll be OK.

Reason for buying the house initially was to live in it for an indefinite number of years (and not at all to be used as a rental property), but I got offered the opportunity to move abroad for work which I couldn't decline because it was my dream.We decided to keep the house and rent it out as it was "less catastrophic" than selling it for a major loss and also because we were proud of the work we put and the result we had.Today, my cashflow is negative by 400€, the only value I'm getting is the mortgage repayment at this stage, but we're only keeping it because of its "sentimental" value, and an eventual use for our retirement.This was my first real estate investment, since then, lessons have been learned about buying and anticipating future value and cashflow, which we did with an apartment in Ireland (bought it, refurbished, lived in it, and now positive cashflow of 500€).What are your thoughts on this?

And the real power of the 1031 is your ability to use that $18K indefinitely to generate income to go into your pocket instead of the govt coffers.

Anyway, my agent and I are absolutely certain that if we try to enforce that part of the contract at this point, the sellers will sit on the property indefinitely (months upon months) given that they don't really want to sell anymore and are regretting it. 

Our goal is to use $100k in capital to buy, rehab, rent, and refinance at least two cash flowing properties in Indianapolis per year indefinitely.

It's not tax free but at least it's tax deferred indefinitely and going from negative to positive return isn't a bad thing.

Should we wait it out for natural gas indefinitely or switch to propane.

States vary, but here you could keep it inactive Indefinitely, but would hsvr to the CE to renew as necessary. 

Future value and debt pay down are great wealth generators but cashflow allows you to carry the property indefinitely, regardless where the market goes.I help clients find investment properties all over the island including PA.

Less upfront investment and an on-going source of income indefinitely until you make it stop (as long as you manage it correctly)