You have a lot more dry powder if you put less money down, but maybe you don't need it right now.

One is, can a property be transferred to a parent/child prior to death and not trigger the capital gains tax?

It as took up to 6 months or longer for my clients to put themselves in a position and confident enough to pull the trigger.  

Fillig holes is a multi-day job, waiting for paint to dry etc.

@Matt Mulvihill we've been pretty close at pulling the trigger on a few carwashes but which were already operating.

Not only can it trigger due on sale, but it can be a problem with your insurance.

I want to pull the trigger on a house but I also want to make a good decision.

Maintain your propertyTreat your renters nicelyCorrect Insurance for STRUmbrella policy if you still have concernsA mortgage will add a layer of protection, if paid off move to an LLCYou can move to an LLC if you have a mortgage, but I don't think it is necessary and you could possibly trigger the "due on sale" clause.

We're all very excited about moving forward (giving ourselves 1 year to learn/save/strategize/niche down before pulling the trigger).  

I just went through this decision making process myself (pulled the trigger on my first property, house hacking a fourplex) and I have decided to self manage!