Your best option is to get with a rockstar LO that has your best interests in mind to help educate you, work through all the different options, so that you can make that choice for yourself effectively.Best of luck!

The question I have is when I bought the home I only lived in it for 1 1/2 to 2 years before I got permanently stationed somewhere else, during these last 8 years I have rented it out and have not lived in it, will I have to pay capital gains tax seeing how I didn’t live in for the last 2 out of 5 years or am I protected because I had official orders and had no choice?

@Ryan Elblein I thought about treating it as a vacation rental, and that might be the way to go, since then (as far as I understand it from Publication 527) vacant days are not taken into account at all.

Period.Therefore, I think property A would be the best choice. 

@Ryan Brakefield unless the family member is giving you a gift then you can't use it for an FHA loan, same with investors. 

If the realtor ever has off market deals before MLS, I might not always be their top choice.

We have identified two but this is our top choice but our budget is closer to $120k is that something even worth submitting in writing in your opinion?  

Oh & let us know how things turn out.Jennifer Ryan (Jenn)

Many made a bad choice, lived the consequences, and said 'I'm not going back' and went on living life.

If you're using a federal exemption a lot depends on your deal type, but some of the names listed above would be good choices.