I think this is extreme price gouging, especially since we did not agree to pay that kind of money and if he was expecting that kind of money, he should not have awaited to the very end to tell us.  

Become an expert!

They are two young professionals with money, they have extremely high demands, they "know already" because they talked to their "xyz professional buddies already." 

If the landlord was aware of his past, yet rented to him anyway - any lawyer worth their salt would make a nexus between those two pieces of information and create a liability claim.In addition to the extreme negative press you would get, it also takes time, money and energy to defend a lawsuit you will eventually win.

All extremely useful input. 

I’m not a 1031 expert but I believe you need to use the same amount of debt you currently have.

Generally most of us aren't going to go through the guilty party's profile and take down everything that qualifies because it takes a lot of time and effort, and most threads have an extremely short shelf life - no one is going to remember it or see it a couple of days from now.

I'm having trouble finding any real solid information, experts, or sources on the subject, so I figured I would reach out to the BP community. 

I understand, just saying flipping in Baltimore is extremely difficult, especially for someone just starting in this current market. 

BUT, being sued, and loosing is extremely rare if you're reasonable careful.