The 1031 exchange is very locked in on dates and properties you select so have a great agent who knows the 1031 exchange. 

What experience does he have in real estate or in selecting investments in his IRA?

Bigger Pockets is a great place to find a real estate tax accountant.A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

This is a common misconception but we're an online platform where the owner chooses their own price and selects their own tenants.

I now am more selective about loan officers as well as lenders. 

A sub S election will probably block the free stepped up basis benefit though.

Build a team of professionals, prepare your finances, and carefully select a property near high-demand areas like hospitals or corporate hubs.

To avoid going through the same poor experience, keep reading.Even if someone gives you a referral here, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that the PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

Either payout wasn’t right , horrible tenant selections ( I started requiring them to bring me the cream of the crop and I decide)  I tried 2  different pMs.

When you can access the opportunities first, you get to analyse and find the best deals first which means you have the broadest selection with minimum/to no  pushback from the lead.Unfortunately using PS guarantees you will not be at the front of the queue and certainly not first mover.