THEY ARE NOT LIMITED TO ONE PROPERTY.So, they can 1031 to 2 or more additional properties OR 1031 into a rental property plus a DST so that all the profits are used up in the exchange. 

Some thoughts on your situation overall:In terms of vetting, I personally there is a limit to how much you can mitigate risks when working with a smaller contractor.

Lending and insurance are based on predictability and without question the frequency and size of losses will continue to eclipse prior records.

@Jennifer Fernéz I run sum numbers for you with our tool, see comments and pics below before refinancing and post refinancing .Financial Breakdown: Purchase Price: $200,000 Mortgage (LTV 80%): $160,000 Interest Rate: 6% (30-Year Amortization) Mortgage Monthly Payment: $959Upfront Costs: Down Payment (20%): $40,000 Closing Costs (3.5%): $7,000 Renovation Costs: $15,000 1 Month of Carrying Costs During Renovation: $1,548Total Upfront Required: $63,548Year One Rent: Monthly Rent Income: $2,000 1 Month Rent Losses during renovations (-$2,000): -$167/month distributed over 12 months Total Rent Income: $22,000 per year => $ 1,833 per monthMonthly Expenses: Mortgage Payment: $959 Property Tax (Assuming $3,000/year): $250 per month Property Insurance (Assumption): $100 per month Utilities (Hydro, Gas, Water): $275 per month Assuming 5% Vacancy: $92 Assuming 0 % Repairs & Maintenance first year because unit has been recently renovated Total Monthly Expenses: $1,676Monthly Net Cash Flow: $157Post-Renovation Refinancing Strategy after 12 months:So far, we’ve purchased the property, completed renovations, and rented it out.Next, you can approach the bank for a refinance to consolidate a portion of your initial investment into a mortgage.

In our case this was an annex built without proper permission, which limited the m2 that the bank would value the property against, and limited to how much space we would be legally allowed to use.

There will likely be a partnership return required where you flipped a house with a partner and lost $120,000.If you sold the other property within the same partnership, it will also be reported on that partnership return.The net result to you is that you will receive a K-1 showing your income / loss which you then use to report on your individual return.If you made no money within the same year, you likely pay no additional taxes / get no additional refund.Best of luck.

i can only see it if you were upside down on an already owned property and you had to move and rented it to negate some of your loss

I do this at least quarterly for some of my clients and they like being able to see the profit and loss reports. 

You’re going to be personally sued no matter the cause of the loss.

These days too many people have too little coverage in case of a rebuild so you do want to make sure you understand the true cost of a total loss.