Section 1031 you are correct in identifying "inventory or stock/trade" not allowing you to treat homes as commodities BUT depending on your time allocated for each home and if you source renters for the properties before you sell them than it is a different discussion.

Why not apply to stock transactions or eliminate cap gains tax on everything instead of just real estate?  

Too much risk of disturbing the current market and smart money (see Ackman on GSE: http://bit.ly/1lHRELJ ) is supporting this approach.Overall, despite the hoopla and rate mongering rates aren't gonna spike and fannie and freddie are dead: long live fannie and freddie. 

The one thing I started doing two years ago is stocking the fridge with bottled water, the freezer with two pizzas, a custom pizza cutter with my contact information on it and a roll of paper towels.

@Jay HinrichsCan't duplicate talent, it's like stock brokerage or financial planning firms, all about human skill sets :)

You'll see that the REIT is severely more volatile, and corresponds much more closely to the stock market then the direct core real estate index.

His mind is dead set based on his inability to live for one more month in NJ but with an offer elsewhere.

The only down side is if your power is out for a long time the battery may go dead.

I even have sales experience and convinced a hars money lender to fund the deals but with money for appraisals, down payment and to pass the application process with the lender it is dead in the water.

I previously worked for Sears Hardware, Lawn & Garden lead, but paint department was right next to me, Kilz was the #1 primer sold and always needed to be re-stocked.