I have a tax professional I use on occasion, but I prefer learning and understanding these things myself and I can't seem to find the answer elsewhere.

Turns out, they will be gone on several occasions.

But in my 15 years of RE, negotiating with sellers and buyers, I have never had the occasion to be dishonest. 

We have dealt with this as a neighbor's diseased 50+ ft oak tree that has on two occasions caused damage to our home, fence, and trees when very large branches fall off of it. 

BUT, he created some rather extreme drama during the last throes of his tenancy by knifing tires of several people parked on the property, on multiple occasions, including mine.

I see this on occasion.

We contacted Maverick for help on more than one occasion.  

(Rare occasion something came on at such a good price that you lucked out and locked it up first day, but ridiculously rare)On that other hand you offer me a place for $70K that was listed at $90K and I determine I would have offered at $73K why the heck would I not buy it from you?  

Either because 1) they now know you'll ultimately pay, or 2) they may see the fact that you paid as an admission of guilt and therefore any future claims may seem more credible since you were "guilty" of discrimination on this prior occasion? 

Yes, I have had this happen on more than one occasion.