Tammy Gonzalez at Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices

07/11/2026

Exactly, I gave you me and you showed me that had no value to you. I wish you well, but not at my expense.

05/21/2026

05/18/2026

Good advice is always free….Call me anytime😃

There are two normal exits when you sell the home you live in.

Pay capital gains on every dollar above the Section 121 exclusion ($250K single, $500K married), or 1031 forever and stay locked inside rentals until you die.

There's a third path almost nobody runs.

Live in the home at least 2 years. Move out, convert it to a rental, then sell within 3 years of leaving. As long as you're still inside the 2-of-5-year use window, Section 121 applies.

And because the property is now classified as investment use, Section 1031 also applies. The IRS lets you stack them: 121 wipes the first $250K/$500K, 1031 defers everything above into the next deal.

Why direction matters. Section 121's non-qualified use rule only penalizes rental periods that happened *before* you lived in the home as primary.

Rental periods *after* you moved out don't count against you. That's the loophole inside the loophole, and it's what makes this play work.

Example. Bought for $400K. Lived in it 3 years. Moved out, rented for 2 years, sold for $1.3M.

That's $900K of gain. Section 121 wipes the first $500K (married). Section 1031 rolls the remaining $400K into your next rental.

Run a clean exchange, full reinvestment, no cash taken out, and even the depreciation recapture defers along with the rest.

Take any boot and that portion gets taxed first, with the recapture coming out at 25%.

The 1031 has real mechanics. Qualified intermediary in place before closing. 45 days to identify the replacement property. 180 days to close on it. Miss any of those and the deferral collapses.

State taxes are separate. Some states conform to Section 121, some don't. Check yours before you model the exit.

And if you hold the new rental until you die, your heirs get a stepped-up basis. Every dollar of deferred gain disappears. That's the full exit.

Most CPAs won't bring this up. It requires planning 5 years out, and most advisors are wired to optimize this year's return, not your decade-out move.

If you've owned your home for more than 2 years, run this past a tax pro before you list it.

08/06/2025

Now accepting new clients! Message me for a free consult.

07/09/2025

Sell your home this Summer, I can make it happen.

If you’re thinking about putting your home on the market this summer, here are a few quick tasks to add to your to-do list to help ensure a successful sale:

- Freshen up the front yard: Sweep your driveway and walkway, prune plants, and tend to your flower beds to give your home a boost of summer-centric curb appeal.

- Make your backyard sparkle: There’s nothing like a summer BBQ underneath bright, twinkling lights to add to your home’s ambience. String lights in the backyard can help buyers imagine what it would be like to relax or entertain at home.

- Reimagine your front door: Before buyers tour your home, they’ll have to walk through the front door, so make sure it’s an experience they’ll remember. With a fresh coat of paint, a new doormat and subtle, seasonal decor, you can completely reimagine what it’s like to enter your home.

If you’d like even more tips to help prepare your home for sale this summer, reach out to Your Forever Agent®.

06/23/2025

05/05/2025

It doesn’t matter if you’re renovating for your own enjoyment or to increase your property’s value: it’s key to know which upgrades bring a positive ROI as well as what buyers expect when purchasing a home. In the 2025 Real Estate Report, you’ll find out what renovations offer the greatest value-add along with other expert insights on upgrading your home. Read the report today at https://www.bhhs.com/reports