Ramesh owns a beach house (four years) and a cabin in the mountains (six years). His adjusted basis is $300,000 in the beach house and $315,000 in the mountain cabin. Ramesh also rents a townhouse in the city where he is employed. During the year, he occupies each of the three residences as follows.

Townhouse                135 days

Beach house              155 days

Mountain cabin           75 days

The beach house is close enough to the city that he can commute to work during the spring and summer. Although this level of occupancy may vary slightly from year to year, it is representative during the time period that Ramesh has owned the two residences.

Because Ramesh plans to retire in several years, he sells both the beach house and the mountain cabin. The mountain cabin is sold on March 3, 2021, for $540,000 (related selling expenses of $35,000). The beach house is sold on December 10, 2021, for $700,000 (related selling expenses of $42,000). 

a. Calculate Ramesh’s least allowable recognized gain on the sale of the two residences.

b. Assume instead that both residences satisfy the two-year ownership and use tests as Ramesh’s principal residence. Because the mountain cabin is sold first, can Ramesh apply the § 121 exclusion to the sale of the beach house? Explain.