Maybe that person didn't find the right agent...I get it when an ordinary buyer comes to a new region and I have explain and convince about the taxation, transaction process, etc. 

Then if/when I pay myself in the future I would also be paying ordinary income tax on what I receive.

If it happens after your business has already started, then the entire $20k is deductible as "ordinary and necessary" business expense under Section 162 of the tax code.

If you are flipping within 365 (holding less than 365) this will be ordinary income tax levels, so if you are 22% or 28% as an example you will be taxed at that amount.

You're still going to have to recapture the depreciation which is part of your ordinary income, not capital gains.

The only question then is if you'd rather pay 20% LTCG plus ordinary income tax on your reinvested proceeds or 5% effective rate on maintaining your investments while harvesting the equity you've accumulated.

There are many ways to avoid taxes, so nobody can give you a complete answer without knowing your entire tax situation.If your only taxable item was selling this condo, you would owe long-term capital gains on the $150,000 plus ordinary income on depreciation recapture.

Are the fireplaces the only heat source or anything out of the ordinary with them?

I made friends with billionaires, multimillionaires, and ordinary people from all over the world.

Thank you, These fees arent out of the ordinary for what I typically see in my market - do keep in mind that the $2k in fees are outside of the realtors control and are charged by your closing company, she is likely estimating these amounts with what they typically see in the area.