After listening to him talk for close to 45 minutes, I finally said that if I have an extra $18,000 to $35,000 wouldn't I just invest that in my own property and get all of the rental income and if I sold the property 100% of the proceeds, not 50% of it. 

The biggest ways IMO are MLS data, multiple solutions for sellers (off market cash deal or listing), ability to rep. yourself on your own deals (saving on commission).Commission savings adds up fast when you're doing multiple deals a year.That being said, there is cost to having a license so if you're only doing a couple deals a year then it might not make as much sense.

When I finally got feedback from the appraiser, it turns out they walked the property and decided it's not a fourplex, rather the "highest and best use" is a duplex and two townhouses.

They are willing to consider properties that are close to meeting the 1% rule, but will conduct further analysis to make a final decision.

Before making your final decision, I'd suggest running the numbers both ways - calculate your tax liability versus the potential long-term impact of accepting those unfavorable terms you mentioned.

The once-iconic retailer Kmart is closing its final full-size mainland store in Bridgehampton, New York, on October 20th.

The litigants finally settled for $1 million which is still a pretty good payday.

@Brett Jurgens if data is non-partisan, yes, it could be helpful if one can access it and knows how to interpret it.

If you do not have data/comps to find out your post renovation value, that ads a huge risk, and makes the move less valuable. 

research market data for the top and bottom averages of property value appreciation data in your area to find out if it's worth it to you.