Hi John, Based on what you have said, you are still in your three (3) year window in which you must sell and close on the sale in order to take advantage of the 121 Exclusion ($500,000.00 tax free exclusion). 

I've never sold a single family in my life; we do office, retail, industrial, multifamily, and mixed use properties exclusively.

We have been doing more buy-and-holds now, and we also improve our owner-occupant houses while we live in them for the 2 out of 5 years (2 out of 10 for military) capital gains exclusion. 

And the newspapers can tell us all how well that business is doing for them. 

Aside from being on time, not smelling like garbage, and refraining from saying anything nasty about my client's and/or my own mother; can't say that there's much a notary could do that really gets my attention and gives me motivation to rely exclusively on them for that service.

In the paragraph numbered 1 of the Love Funding Engagement Letter of August 20,2015 was this statement: LFC will have the exclusive right to represent Borrower in its application to HUD in connection with this project for the purpose of obtaining Section 223(f) mortgage insurance for the Loan and all meetings and correspondence with HUD will be accomplished solely through LFC.In the paragraph numbered 6 of the same letter, was this statement:Any amounts not used will be refunded or credited to the Borrower at the Loan closing.In the paragraph numbered 11 of the said Engagement Letter were these sub-paragraphs:(ii) Each party agrees to the use of binding arbitration administered by the American ArbitrationAssociation to resolve any claim for damages related to or arising from this Letter Agreement, the Firm Commitment or documents executed in connection with closing the Loan (the "Loan Documents").Borrower and LFC each hereby waives its rights to a trial by jury and agrees not to file any complaintfor damages, engage in any legal action or proceeding in any court, or appeal the outcome of a finaland binding arbitration.

Structurally, I think you would setup an LLC to be the exclusive owner of the property.

Could anyone recommend an agent who could write an underlying policy with animal coverage (restricted list exclusion ok)I am shopping around.Thanks

These agencies, with few exceptions, are granted broad and exclusive rulemaking and enforcement powers by the licensure statutes. 

Not  much different than a regular lease, just also has the exclusive right (but not obligation) to buy at a certain price for a certain amount of time.