And than we have all those requirements to meet to get clean designation. people forget the age of many of these homes; lead, mercury and asbestos. 

Or you can probly turn the other unit into a short term rental? 

However, in my short time I’ve found that tenant deception is by far the toughest part.

The only other option I see is a short sale, if you don't need to purchase for a few years and don't mind a temporary credit hit to save the $60k.  

Our aim is to maximize appreciation and rent growth while still cash flowing enough to break even after all expenses in the short term.

It simply depends on your time frame, when you want to actually begin renting the property out short term, and what the loan terms are.

Here’s why I’m asking:Say we sell a short-term rental (STR) for $700K, with $150K in equity we want to 1031.

Just struggling to find any good leads with not much access to mls and other paid services.

Yeah the law changed I believe back in 2020.You cannot do short term rental with an HPR unless you own both sides.   

Quote from @Andrew Lawlor: I've been actively investing in short-term rental properties for the past three years, managing one live property and another that will go live in two months.