Since she's never had a mortgage before, could she qualify for an FHA loan?

We want all borrowers to have "skin in the game".  

I recently closed on a SF 4Bd/1Bath and now having trouble finding qualified tenants.

We do have clients who want to be more aggressive, and will refer them to a direct relationship with qualified counsel for such endeavors. 

If your AGI is between 100 to 150, the 25k is phased out and get partial deduction until you reach 150k.If your AGI is more than 150k, then those losses will be suspended (unless you qualify as RE professional) until when you sell the house and will offset your passive gain when you dispose.

Is it better to buy, remodel and hold for at least a year and a day to hold to qualify for capital gains tax/passive income?

I likely would qualify/feel comfortable for somewhere in the $450k range, and am in the pre-approval process now.Rising interest rates scare me. 

My mother was told she must sell their home by the end of 2018 to qualify for the married $500K gains exclusion.

And if you are qualified as a GC then providing a real repair estimate would be a source of credibility that so many other wholesalers just don't have so I'd definately view that as a positive.

They have more skin in the game then you do.Make sure you get clear title.