Hard to say what the effect would be on doing either without details, but I'd recommend not trying to do both of those in the same year (unless you have enough cash saved up for at least a 20% down payment on the investment property). 

This quick flip was a testament to our effective approach in Pleasant Hill.

This goes into effect Jan. 1st, but the state has not figured out the particulars and the license is not available yet. 

For RE owners, death allows you to pass assets to your heirs and step up in basis, effectively eliminating recapture.

Are there ways to address this concern or to communicate the value of these unique features to the appraiser effectively—without overstepping?

You can indeed transfer the FHA loan into an LLC if certain criteria are met, though your bank may exercise its due on sale clause and require you to get a new conventional mortgage.

Lately we have been lucky enough to have our favorite local Property Management guru David Tilney join us in person and on Zoom to share his endless knowledge about how to effectively manage your (or others) rental properties!

All could be fine here, but this is a good exercise in due diligence and the value of this forum and community either way. 

If it’s cost effective I’d tile but then it will be more labor intensive/expensive if/when you have to replace it.

Third, Even though that cant call your second building two townhomes, they can call out that you have two duplexes, which could still effect your evaluation.