You would agree on terms such as interest rate, deferred or monthly payments, etc.If this is a CA property and the interest rate exceeds 10% you would have to use a licensed CA real estate broker to originate the loan for you.

Being a cancer survivor I know better than many that I may have some regrets because I  have deferred some fun things in life but raising my family and making sure I have provided for my husband if I pass will be satisfying even if I don't get to enjoy it (although I'm really hoping to get to enjoy it).

There is no way to defer taxes on the profits.

She's lived there for seven years and the previous landlords deferred so much maintenance that it's almost impossible to keep up with the patch work.

No, @Nathaniel N Brown, you can't use the proceeds towards a primary residence and still defer the capital gains taxes.

Option 3. 1031 into a like kind investment and defer the taxes (if you don’t qualify for the homeowner exclusion).It’s all about the numbers and your desire to get into something bigger and better or not and remain where you are at with this investment.

It's hard to stand out.There are some owner-occupied segments with people who share motivating factors for selling their home.Seniors with Long-time Ownership: often ready to downsize or transition to assistance.Homeowners with Low Financial Stability Scores (FSS): Struggling financially and likely ready to cash in on their asset.Both these categories have additional advantages in that they probably don’t haven’t been updated and may have deferred maintenance.

You'll want to do 1031 exchanges on your SFRs in order to defer the capital gains taxes.

As long as you purchase in total at least as much as your net sale and use all of the net proceeds in the purchases you will defer all tax.  

The key is to purchase at least as much as you sell in total to defer all tax.