If you want to stay in REI, I would recommend biting the bullet and getting a PM - its going to make your life so much easier.Now, a more complicated option (but one with some great long-term benefits) would be to consider a Charitable Remainder Trust.

It does sound like the 1031 exchange would be worth my time- especially since it's a $750 risk for potentially $10k reward.

I have capital deployed in very rewarding places that I'm not comfortable liquidating for the down payment yet, however i do have roughly 20k+ in my 401k through my workplace Fidelity account that i would gladly put towards real estate..

Im not there yet but the rewards sound very much worth it and once you know what to do, you know what to do!

I am also looking into Fannie's Green Rewards program which would drop those rates another 30 bps, I'm not sure if that will be an option for us or not.

If you were going to be making a purchase in the next 3 years would you keep your money safely "under the mattress" in the bank, or would you place it in the market and accept the risk for the possibly great rewards?

Real estate is hard for agents just starting out but can be rewarding if you're willing to do the leg work and stick out the slow times.

They buy a decked out F350 they don't need and can't afford, live from job to job and the risk/reward of going to trial made it too risky to pursue.Live and learn.Oh and I suspect the problem is worse in rapidly growing areas.

Doing it this way may not be monetarily the best way to do it but it works better because you get a psychological reward of paying something off and it will then give you motivation to pay off the next. 

Next, the Sponsor is rewarded for the asset performing very well with the 80/20 and 50/50 split.