I am def not a finance guy but it seems to me that the capital gains tax you will pay on syndication will likely end with your initial investment principle being multiplied by something greater than 1 plus the cash flow you got from monthly payments. 

It's a fine strategy (I'm in LA and it's most of what I've done), but I wouldn't make low-tax as your buying criteria.

Seller isn't willing to do a finance deal....how would you go about this?

Do a final walk through the day before close.

And as a final head scratcher, this record did not factor into Smartmove's accept or decline recommendations.

They recommended this because once you have a fine, you have a fine, so why not continue the work. 

For example, to call yourself a lender in California, you must hold either a finance lender license or RE broker license.

Maybe another 3-4k for your attorney and condo fees.620k sounds like the right asking price, maybe a little optimistic for a final sales price considering active comps and all the available inventory.

Does the risk of a fine get outweighed by the reward?

Now there is a fine line between a management company having too many of their own properties and possibly neglecting yours, however in general your management company or property manager should have a portfolio of their own to truly know what they are doing and see aspects from your perspective. 3.