@Will Gaston We are now considering the HELOC option, it hadn't really occurred to me though I did one once long ago when I needed some cash flow.  

Dear fellow members,I am seeking your help in (and possibly if you could help with docs or contracts I need the seller of a multifamily house to sign off so that a proper transfer of lease that the seller has with the tenant occurs so that it is now a lease between me (buyer of the property) and the tenant.

Would there be an issue with the contract date on the new property occurring before the date that I close on the property that I am selling?

I read IRS Publication 523, to qualify for the exclusion of gain, and it states that: "You meet the standard requirements if any of the following events occurred during the time you owned and lived in the home you sold"  ---Became divorced or legally separatedSince I did get divorced while owing the home, am I able to claim the $250K exclusion? 

If you have any documentation like emails or texts that can backup whatever arrangement occurred that lead to you purchasing the furnace, I would suggest telling us about it so we can help.

They called and said they were thinking about cancelling because one of the parties had a minor injury occur and might not be able to enjoy their stay there and wanted to know if we could extend credit for another time in the fall possibly.  

Do you want a lender who can fill in boxes on a spreadsheet or who has the experience and expertise to avoid problems, surmount them if they occur, and have options to discuss with you? 

We don’t know anyone in the area, but you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”, since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant: https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processes

We don’t know anyone in the area, but you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”, since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant: https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processes

Exemption to FHA only occurs if you live in the property.