You can use fancy words such as 'using leverage to enhance returns' etc. all day long, but the fact remains: if as a client I loose 50% of my premiums to commissions and fees I don't care what kind of leverage I gain as a result, it would practically be impossible to recover my losses. 

Grandmother is eligible for a Principal Residence exemption of 250k from capital gains as she has lived in the home continuously for 30+ years. 

I am a brand new investor who is looking to gain more knowledge and experience.

I love the research that is involved in finding houses, the excitement of looking, and knowledge gained thru every experience.I want to have the building blocks so I can set my children up for success.

If you're looking for buy and hold, becoming an agent and gaining access to MLS and your own deals may be very beneficial.

If you live in part of it for two out the previous 5 year period  you will be able to take out the gain from the allocation of the portion you lived in (up to 250K if single or 500K if married) tax free!.  

It looks like it is someone else's turn to gain economic advantage.I sort of get the tiny home movement, but what I don't get is why people would want them given they are generally more expensive than HUD Code homes by the time everything is done.I actually have looked into the containers for several purposes and they always seemed to end up more money than the alternatives.

Welcome Jacob  this is a great place to gain info.  

If you've never lived there you will get whacked with capital gains tax right off, unless you invest the 450K (minus commissions and closing costs) through a 1031 exchange into better cash-flowing properties like some SFRs in West Valley or a 6-plex in Taylorsville.

While taxes are certainly a consideration when I'm doing a cost/benefit on a potential sale, it wouldn't be my primary driver.Any s/t gain would be considered ordinary income.