with that said, should you increase your down payment to mask flaws in an otherwise terrible deal - an alligator that will eat you alive with deferred maintenance that is in a worse neighborhood than you think, but an agent sold you on it because it has new countertops? 

One client came in hot looking for a multi-unit in Phoenix - they wanted to roll over gains, keep taxes deferred, and jump into a hotter market.

Would a DST work to defer taxes on ordinary income from say flipping properties and using the trust to invest in more properties?

But since it was being used for investment when you sold it you also qualify for a 1031 exchange.If you find that you still have any taxable gain leftover after the primary exemption, then you can indefinitely defer that tax and not have to recapture any depreciation in a 1031 exchange.

Repair addendums are often far more daunting because the buyer can't afford to take on any deferred maintenance.

A QOZ is an economically-distressed community where if certain conditions are met, it may result in deferment of capital gains tax for investors.

Instead, you must invest in a purely passive way, such as a syndication.Second, real estate is a tax-favored asset and investing in a tax-favored asset through a tax-deferred vehicle is a bad idea. 

However:Capital gains taxes can be minimized through deductions like rehab expenses, holding costs, and agent fees.Alternatively, if you decide to keep the Mooresville house and rent it out, you could potentially defer capital gains taxes through a 1031 exchange, but this only applies to investment properties (not primary residences).

The economics do not allow for a property renovation, properly permitted and all deferred maintenance issues addressed.  

Deferred maintenance I knew was coming?