I recommend reaching out to the builders directly to negotiate any potential arrangements.

I've noticed some really extreme discrepancies between renting and potential mortgage payments which make me hesitant to buy a primary residence.My wife wants to move around 56 (not too far from the ocean), which I don't mind because it seems they have great school districts and we have young kids. 

$500k would be enough to go out and buy something else leveraged that would potentially get you a better return.

Disallowed losses under wash sale rules increase the cost basis of replacement securities, potentially reducing future taxable gains.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

You are best off to raise the rent and give the tenant the option to stay.Also, I hear a lot on here that "rents should be", "the potential rents are"... make sure that you do your due diligence when calculating potential rents because most new owner OVER estimate them.

I typically host single family homes, but have been asked to potentially host an apartment complex of 22 units.

I was an electrician for over 20 years with my last electrical job being shop foreman for a custom electrical control panel shop and UL 508 specialist.

We have our starter home currently rented out and can potentially move back. 

If the agent is doing the marketing, finding the potential buyers and possibly working with other agents to help you secure a deal then I would still charge 2.5% for my listing services and 2.5% to any buyer's agent. 

Focus on one or two target markets, get familiar with the numbers, and use tools like BP calculators to analyze potential properties.Whether you start now or after graduation depends on your bandwidth, just have the right systems and support in place first.