The reason behind that is because you're technically giving the government a tax free loan for 1 year from April to April and that it's better to get more from each paycheck and just pay at the end of the year.

I have lots of construction background and business experience in government but no actual RE experience other than the purchase, rehab, and sell of our current home.

@Roderick Gunn, for local government liens (such as grass cutting, demolition, sewer assessment, fire dues and library dues are the most common) the local government lien trumps the tax sale.

Pros:Access to MLSLarger real estate networkMore knowledgeGives more credibility with sellersPuts more money in your pocketCons:Annual continuing education requirementsAnnual dues for local, state and nationalCosts associated with hanging your license with a brokerageHeld to a higher standard in a court of lawAll in all, I say the license if more of an asset than a liability, but that is just my opinion...

This process also doesn't happen over night (its the government you're working with) but I can give you a break down of how everything went.The home owner contacted the fire dept. over a month in advance to before we ever stepped foot on the property.The house had been gutted of every single appliance in it (water heater, stove, dishwasher etc.) prior to the fire dept arriving,the Fire dept does not pay for the clean up for the property after the burn (at least our county doesn't)This is for a very specific situation but there are perks for the home owner for the demolition of the property.

@Daniel B. dude I recommend working with a CPA, not so much for the detailed answers they can give to your questions but so you can proactively strategize how to legally give the government as little of your money as possible.

The problem is scarcity exacerbated by local governments dissuading investment in new supply or the investment in improving existing inventory. 

Of course if you want to switch to different license type, you have to go through the whole application process again, and pay applicable fees.I believe this is governed by the accessory dwelling unit ordinance which was revised recently. 

How likely is the local government to honor a 70 year old variance?

As I'm sure you know energy has never been an open market, every form of energy receives significant government support, and solar is no different in that regard.