Look for payment patterns in the credit report. 

If I were on a regular engineer career course I would have followed this pattern.

That does not qualify.There's no statutory holding period but the pattern and nature of your activity will demonstrate whether your intent was to hold the property or to resell it.

I didn't pay attention to  the excuse pattern until recently, when an agreed upon term was not met, nor was there a call regarding it. 

The AML Program should provide clear and unambiguous procedures to identify such instances.A transaction requires reporting if it is conducted or attempted by, at, or through a covered retailer or community, it involves or aggregates funds or other assets of at least $5,000, and the covered entity knows, suspects, or has reason to suspect that the transaction (or a pattern of transactions of which the transaction is a part):Involves funds derived from illegal activity or is intended or conducted in order to hide or disguise funds or assets derived from illegal activity (including, without limitation, the ownership, nature, source, location, or control of such funds or assets) as part of a plan to violate or evade any Federal law or regulation or to avoid any transaction reporting requirement under Federal law or regulation. 

(And damn, sometimes it almost seems to sort of repeat itself too..)Is there some sort of pattern here?

It is possible you can avoid dealer status and demonstrate investment intent, but not likely if you establish and maintain a pattern of flipping homes.

I really miss that now that we are in intentional holding pattern for awhile.  

I usually prefer consistency and a pattern but that is just me.  

This is particularly true if you establish a pattern of buying, rehabbing, renting for a year and selling.