Assuming I repeat the deal, is it worth hanging out for another year to save the cap gains tax and miss out on making another 16K off of the next home?

However, when pre-screening, I have had many people hang up on me or choose not to move forward since they know that they do not meet our requirements.

As the saying goes, your the average of the 5 people you hang out / talk with.

I am not saying being handy isn't helpful, taking a pay cut just to learn how to hang cabinets is actually moving you away from your goals, versus towards it.

Let them know you've been pre-approved for a mortgage up to $X and you're hanging on to $Y for renovation reserves.

I'm getting ready to take my broker's exam in a week and I'm currently looking around for a brokerage to hang my license with. 

Or at least if you could afford to hang on to it longer if the market turned.

Rotten sill plates, rotten framing, insulation hanging from ceiling, rotten exterior walls about 2' up, bad electrical, previous termite damage, bathroom needs replacing.

I have worked on the Westside for the past 4 years, so I am very aware of the potential dangers of this area and specifically, the parts you don't want to hang around in after the sun goes down...I really like the Springfield area, as it seems to have significant potential due to expansion of local businesses, in addition to being in very close proximity to a handful of large hospitals and predominant businesses in downtown Jacksonville.

Coastal stuff built in the 1960s had none of the earthquake and geotechnical requirements we have today, and parts of the coastal areas present challenges (I'm doing a project about 4 blocks from the water now that happens to be in a liquifaction zone, necessitating plenty of soils work, even for a small addition).I guess my only other comment is the use of the "construction crew" ... that's no small feat at the moment.