orCharacteristics of a Good ContractorMaybe the powers that be will start such a section right here in our community. 

Licensing laws are strict and the DOL powerful.

It gives you massive bargaining power (I was getting killed by cash buyers when I first started out) and it allows you to take out another HELOC on the property purchased and pay the original HELOC back.

I purchased a home in November 2017 and am putting it on the market March 1st - assuming that it sells fairly quickly, I'll have owned the house for under 2 years and will have to pay capital gains taxes (for reference, CT house purchased at 91k, ~25k in repairs, listing at 170k - I'll be probably renting a place to live in myself as soon as a deal goes through, then looking to purchase a multifamily to rent out within 6 months or so, but very unlikely immediately after closing).I have a sort of two-part follow-up question about this, which is rooted in the fact that I know very little about capital gains and am feeling overwhelmed every time I try to Google/BP search the topic.

You can do the closing remotely through a power of attorney or a mail away closing.

Can you either eliminate your common electric charges or even sell power back to the grid?

I know that’s not a lot in Seattle, but it paints a picture for my buying power.

We made it for six days, the last three which included no power, intermittent water supply (no toilets/showers) and rising anxiety.

There will always be operating expenses but it shouldn't be overwhelming high for that many years.

It does need some new sliding glass doors, power washing of the deck, some potential floor leveling, washer/dryer and potentially bathroom upgrades.