We would not qualify for an exemption for sale due to any of the circumstances listed.
Yes we do plan to use some of the capital gains for college. However, this is a one time capital gains realized from 10 years of very hard work and little income reported over this period. There also won’t be any significant earned income moving forward. This gain should be our retirement fund but unfortunately we also can’t contribute to an IRA this year due to the capital gains. It has also been suggested to pay down our mortgage. This suggestion along with annuities feels very risky to lock money away for at least 15 years.
Many thanks for all the advice! This is such a helpful forum.