Not all agents are equal, find the agent who fits your goals best.  

Will they also provide you with comprehensive tax planning? 

My thought is to approach her by saying that my original plan was to purchase the property and convert her unit into Section 8 so that I could get the $3,200/month rent -- but since she's a long term tenant, I would be willing to forego that plan and tell her she can pay $3k/month to stay.What are your thoughts?

If you ask the right questions and carry on a 'landlord to landlord' conversation you will get the information you need to decide whether they will be a good fit for you or not. 

I plan to hand write the letter to keep it personable and local.

I moved to Colorado and do not have plans to return to NM Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

We plan to DIY and upgrade, and our exit strategy will depend on what rents look like in four years as to whether we hold or BRRR.

But, since you're looking to buy a primary residence in California, this might not fit your plans right now.Structured Installment Sale: This is a way to spread out your profit over several years by receiving the payment in installments.

If you plan to live in the property, you may have a better (IMO) option of using section 121 to avoid cap gains taxes up to $250k filing as an individual, $500k as a married couple.

Hi Kirk - sounds like a wonderful plan.