Either way I hope those sentiments do not influence your actions and treatment of your tennants...…….. 

If you did, that’s more like how it was pre-great recession and we all saw how that turned out.Appraisers are unbiased third parties, so that you, the bank, the agent etc shouldn’t influence them.It sounds like you paid 232k, expecting appraisal after work at 260k and that’s what you got.Certain things, like hanging drywall, don’t really affect the value of a house.

I'm sure they have a small influence in some cities, but not Asheville.

However, as you know, a passive investor in a real estate syndication one must always maintain influence over the decision making and management process through the power of veto should things not go as originally planned.  

So if it has only been a year you probably don't have much tax due as @Bill Brandt said.There's another complication that could influence your decision. 

It's also one of the few investments you can directly influence the value & profitability of through your actions, which in my mind makes it a lot more like a business.  

That entity may have no controlling influence by you or lineal family that are considered disqualified persons to the IRA.There are considerations that may impact whether such an investment will be beneficial to an IRA.  

Since finally making the concrete decision to pursue real estate 5 months ago, I have listened to 21 BiggerPockets podcasts, have finished rich dad poor dad, rich dad's cash flow quadrant, how to win friends and influence people, flip your future, the book on tax strategies for the savvy real estate investor (BP), the book on flipping houses (BP), and I'm just getting started on the book on estimating rehab costs (BP).

My hope is to get them to agree to $350,000.Background: I currently have a LLC that originally focused on being a media influencer through a blog regarding living your best life/financial freedom.

And will a car loan and credit card debt influence on the approval of the loan?