On January 1, 2012, Stephanie Bridges acquired depreciable real property for $50,000. She used straight-line depreciation to compute the asset’s cost recovery. The asset was sold for $96,000 on January 3, 2021, when its adjusted basis was $38,000. 

a. What are the amount and nature of the gain if the real property was residential?

b. Stephanie is curious about how the recapture rules differ for tangible personal property and for residential rental real estate acquired in 1987 and thereafter. Write a letter to Stephanie, explaining the differences. Her address is 2345 Westridge Street #23, Edna, KS 67342.