Here's a copy of what I put to the question in another forum -  You've got to take title to as much real estate as your net sale if you want to defer all tax.

I met through an agent, an investor that his pdf presents him as a huge player. he has deals for over 2b all over the world. yet his online presence is close to nothing. both as a person and a company. is this real?

This is rather simplified but hypothetically, you would defer the taxes if the code allowed for this.James Storey, CCIM

But it is news to a lot of people as to the size of the debt and deferred maintenance pool that has accumulated.I think many people will be surprised to learn that even a city like Pasadena, which appears wealthy (and has many wealthy individuals living and owning property here, company headquarters, the Rose Bowl, CalTech, etc) is nearly broke, with a $300M+ backlog of basic infrastructure needs.

I like having some cushion between the "new" mortgage price and the expected rental price... but would you consider taking for cash out (if the opportunity presented itself).

What ideas would you guys suggest to present to them to entice them to sell to us, hopefully under market.

From what little you've presented, it sounds like an "amateur" business setup, if you'd call it that.

There is so much uncertainty in the market at the present time.

2) When you present an offer you tell the seller you don't know who the buyer will be when he signs?

We could have withheld and deferred three months of rent, which would have been financially devastating to the owner.