Particularly given that the package deal means a longer close, and then likely competing for a new home in this same neighborhood with some of my current neighbors.2) If we hold off on selling for a couple years until the nearby development actually starts to impact our quality of life, how (if at all) does that shift our bargaining leverage?

Going from real estate to note investing requires a significant shift in thinking.

This way, they can shift and adjust to find deals more suitable for you.Put good tools in place to stay organized. 

I haven't done too much with rental properties but I'm interested in shifting to more of these.

@Adam HigginbothamSome cities have shifted from a seller market to a balance market.

In addition, if you're getting an RE license, do yourself a favor and join a team.When you're new, a team can help you thru the ins and outs, giving you direction and assisting with difficult situations.You'll also want to provide great customer service to your clients and shift work makes that difficult, especially when there's something that needs immediate attention and you're on a 911 call.In addition, your brothers and sisters in the firehouse are going to expect you to be focused on the task at hand while on duty, so having that team will further enhance your customer service for both clients and the citizens.

If so, can we shift to more accurate language? 

Yeah, there's always a chance ... your property could not appraise, your credit identity could be stolen and this may take time to repair, the market could shift and banks could tighten their lending standards on investment properties ... the possibilities are endless.Moral of this story - you have to weigh 'chance' and 'probability' differently

There is a difference between growing the business and shifting the risk curve in the wrong direction.

I just recently quit my night shift job (12 hour shift, 60 hr weeks...brutal) and just started a day time job (8 hr shift, 40 hr weeks...