If you are gutting kitchens & bathrooms, opening up walls, altering the floorplan, relocating or otherwise upgrading plumbing and electric, and then the plan is to immediately flip the property and you don't wish to get sued into oblivion after the sale if anything should go wrong, then yes, pull permits and used a licensed, bonded general contractor.If on the other hand this is your personal residence and you just want to paint, change some trim and flooring, and freshen up the bathrooms and kitchen without gutting or moving stuff around, then you may be ok without permits.There are many shades of gray between those scenarios too ...

Thank you all for the support!

I have always had a passion for real estate.I have had my real estate license for 10 years now however I am not actively working as a real estate agent at the moment.I have worn many hats over the years, to support myself, but always come back to real estate.

I work as a legal secretary and want to support my "art habit" (as well as my retirement) by holding onto rental properties, and probably living in one of them in a few years.  

(Even if it were to ever happen, you couldn't just "do away" with them in Michigan since it's based on a provision in the federal tax code.)From everything I've heard, NAR actually supports 1031 exchanges (more business for them). 

Example, if a flat wall with no outside corners has lead paint, it needs to be made intact with no holes in it.

Provide a FREE flat screen tv set already installed on the wall in the living room.

Is there a way around selling or ways to get support?

Is there a way around selling or ways to get support?

You would have to owner occupy the new property per FHA requirements.If you want to buy a new investment property using conventional loan, then you can do it at any time, as long as your income supports it.