I also gained some experience with Landlording and fixing up a property to put it on the market.Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

I sold a primary residence this year and am not subject to capital gains taxes.

One for you to move out of California to lower your income and capital gains taxes, exchange them in to something else, or sell one or two if you need a lump sum.

But still allow me to stay in the game for the near term gains.   

If they say you need another year to save more $, one more year will fly buy as you shop for duplexes and read Biggerpockets to learn and gain experience. 

The checkout clerks at the supermarket, however, don't care if the money I use to pay for my groceries comes from salary income, stock dividends, savings account interest, bond interest, real estate rents, or capital gains.

Are income sources like capital gains excluded from qualifying for a mortgage?

What are you looking to gain from it?

Are you looking for cash flow, capital gains, preservation?

And CA can't use the clawback provision to get their hands on the gain.