This is especially true if the property requires significant upkeep or if the heirs live far away.Owners of Distressed PropertiesSellers who own homes in poor condition and can't afford the necessary repairs may prefer to sell as-is rather than invest time and money into renovations.Landlords with Problematic TenantsLandlords who have been dealing with problematic tenants, frequent vacancies, or costly property damage might want to offload the property quickly to cut their losses and avoid further hassles.Owners Facing Major Life ChangesSignificant life changes, such as health issues, retirement, or downsizing, can motivate people to sell their property quickly.

Even if you take a loss on your investment by getting out, it's probably better to part on good terms than having to lawyer-up.  

Leverage tends to adds risk, I always recommend having the worst case backed up by, long term job prospects, other liquid assets to cover losses, an/or the ability to take measured risk more than once to even out uncertainty.The richest individuals use leverage to their advantage all the time, but it should be used with care.Zach

I just had one of my tenants set one of my houses on fire, major damage but not a total loss.

I'm going to guess loss of income on some level.  

Downside is if you have more than a month in vacancy you lose that income and it will take time to recover that loss. 

Getting the REPS status in order to truly leverage the benefits real estate paper losses offsetting your W2 earnings is something that takes very clear logging of approved activities proving your qualification every year.

I guess maybe, I could put less money down, so I could show a greater loss for this year?

Your profile mentions that you are a real estate agent - You want to have a conversation to see if you potentially are eligible to claim real estate professional status which would allow you to treat your rental losses as active instead of passive.Also have a conversation if you are required to make estimated tax payments since there is no withholding on your commissions.Lastly, your profile mentions you are in Florida which does not have a state income tax which opens you up to more options for choosing an accountant.

Discuss the Loss of Rents (aka Business Income) coverage with your agent.