You say this would be when your flip sells...flips are inventory in an active business, not investment, so they cannot be 1031'd.

How do people who acquire and manage STR's track the time for their Active Material Participation activities? 

Not only is the demands of each buyer going to vary by market and submarket, but also asset by asset.My favorite example of this was an old season of Flip or Flip, where they bought a house in LA county, versus their standard stomping grounds of Orange County.  

Still quite active buying SMF, as well as more passive deals in syndications, and do some private lending. 

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They don t want another business to take away from higher priorities of family and living life.Most investors are happy getting a 15%+ cash on cash return that is tax free from a STVR without needing to actively manage the investment.

You may also consider Cincinnati, which is one of my favorite cities.

Do you want to be passive or active?

Yes, you'll have some costs and time spent to keep your license active, but having your own broker's license would give you extra flexibility in the future. 

Particularly on larger balance CRE (Commercial Real Estate) this rate improvements can lead to a dramatic increase in activity and investability.