@Will QuinnCongrats on closing! 

I'm fairly confident from reading online we don't qualify for an exemption, but I'm trying to assess actual closing costs to trying and reduce them All details:Bought the house 2.5 years ago for $980K (left on mortgage $753K), we have a clause for an assumable mortgage for me to take over (I can keep same rate).

Quote from @Ryan Konen: Congrats on the judgment!

That’s $25,000 in buyer agent compensation.Now, if you the Seller pay the buyer’s agent, you will net $975k.($1,000,000 - $25,000 = $975,000)As a seller you probably have a listing agent to pay too on top of your transfer taxes, closing costs, etc, so the net is less than that obviously, but we are just focusing on the buyer agent compensation piece of it right now for easy numbers!

As for MTR in the winter, depends on the market. 

Any insight on this topic will be appreciated.

@Greg Hoffmann this thing again.....I'm wrestling with even commenting on this product. 

Rental houses in your own name will be harder than an owner occupied house, but you may find a HELOC or fixed rate line at a local community bank, a credit union.

Why would someone (a stranger) give you money for the downpayment on your first rental property?

Not a new member, i've been on BP for a while now but never really did an official introduction.