Great reference material!

If they are good people, stress free, boring, and take care of the property then I might reduce the rent a little to retain them.  

We put the materials on a 0% interest credit card, got the airline points, paid our contractor with cash reserves, then paid off the card.

Ok, my plumber comes with a truck full of tools and a trailer full of material, he would even have a new toilet ready if need be.

If a contractor asks you to pay for materials up front, pay directly to the supplier.

I did not see any combustible material to spread the fire from the back of the stove to the front, and the patterns look wrong for that.

Then I took it to a buddy who does cabinets and asked him to make dovetails on both materials so it will result in a single strip 12' across with the hardwood and bamboo dovetailing into each other.

I came across this:Some lease agreements contain clauses that allow the landlord to retain all or part of a security deposit upon the breach of the lease.

Taking a DIL is receiving full payment of the debt, so you'll have a tax liability as if the note had been paid in cash if this note was an equity funded transaction in selling the 1/2 interest, including that profit, if it was cash loan it's the same as a payoff.You'll then have a new adjusted basis as to the 1/2 interest to apply in a future sale.Profits in the tax qualified plan should be retained tax deferred as other earnings after the liability if any, net income. :)

Also claimed damage to the property for his right to retain their deposit - this is with regard to the previous tenants.