From the documents I read, they seemed to not be conforming to the SAFE Act and Dodd-Frank on the belief that they were exempt because they are doing contract for deed.  

For the primary exemption you'd have to move in and live there for two years minimum.

We are currently pursuing an exemption to the rider, but if that is not approved, we will have to refinance.

Some states have a homestead tax exemption which reduces the taxes for owner occupied properties.

.- You bought the house through a like-kind exchange (basically swapping one investment property for another, also known as a 1031 exchange) in the past five years.You are subject to expatriate tax.If I convert the primary to an investment property and lose the exemption, can I use the 1031 exchange to shield me from paying taxes?

Only way I have seen it done is by abusing the homeowner exemption or hiring someone with a license to supervise the work.

If you just live in it for 4 more months you will qualify for the exemption.

The process itself is pretty simple, and if you're transferring from your own personal name to an LLC you own it is typically an exempt transfer meaning no conveyance taxes are assessed.

That said, the Solo 401k is flexible enough to allow for one or more LLCs to be added to your investment structure, if desired.Other benefits include: Compared to an IRA, Solo 401k contributions limits are roughly ten times higher.There is no custodial requirement for the 401k.There is a built in-Roth component whereas IRAs are either traditional or Roth, not both.A spouse can also participate in the same Solo 401k plan.The Solo 401k has additional tax benefits over an IRA when investing into real estate using leverage, specifically an exemption from UDFI tax.

Good choice, altho I agree that most agents have no clue about REI I would not be too concerned about that it doesn't really matter, rather be the exemption to the rule.