Lots of reasons for this...but you always want to check. 

James, this is inspiring, man!

I would stick with what you know works in this market and keep the momentum! 

What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

Although you plan on having your mother live in the home to start you'll want to assess the home using the current rental rates and values in the area.

technically yes but I am not sure how realistic it is unless its a very large parcel. reason I say that is typically when you give up rights they will use them (for example oil well), which requires access etc.

I tried to post an "update" to my original post, but looks like I don't know how to use this feature.PPS.

I am debating using my local lawyer vs. finding a lawyer in the state where the property is located.

If positive, it's generally treated like income or offsets the liability for that property to $0; this is highly dependent on the circumstances.

What I do have is relentless energy, focus, and the drive to succeed in real estate.I’m diving headfirst into multi-family and commercial real estate because I know this is where true wealth is built.