I usually only take $50 for pet deposit (no refundable) First time dealing with this, I will ask tenant to give me proof of documentation for the service dog (making sure she is not playing the service dog trick to avoid the pet deposit)

The lesson learned is not to take on unnecessary risk. 

Some guests on HA request to deal directly to avoid the fees, which I rarely oblige for fear of losing my ranking.

In what ways can recapture be avoided other than a 1031 exchange?

Avoid the "shiny object syndrome" by narrowing down your niche as soon as possible.

We are so going to make this neighborhood look great"If you are trying to avoid any conflict you can always tell him "I appreciate what you are saying but I have to maintain the privacy of the applicants"

Or is this something to avoid all together?

I am not talking about avoiding legitimate lawsuits with this strategy. 

So the mortgage is always satisfied (as long as it is against the property you  are selling).What that leaves you with though is the responsibility to do two things if you want to avoid all taxes. 

The use of a trust to avoid probate is a common estate planning tool.