To answer your last question, my realtor has contractor contacts I should be able to leverage for rehab budget estimates, as well as family friends with experience in the construction trades.

Sounds like an easily executable deal from what you've stated but likely need more color to offer path forward, terms, etc.

Can you do contracting work on properties and learn valuable skills that will help you remodel properties, flip them, or otherwise learn as much as possible about the construction trade? 

Again even if you have great credit as you start to add more credit cards, mortgages, auto loans to your credit you can also be viewed as "High risk" due to Excessive trade lines in credit or higher DTI - debt to income ratios. 

The operator may trade off the longer term benefits to keep a high quality tenant in place.

Best regards,Yaroslav @Yaroslav Shtogun what about a slight adjustment to the property line and executing a no build easement so that you're achieving the purpose of the setbacks?

While I often “trade” properties, a friend of mine is a buy and hold guy.  

I also work with a team that helps cash buyers execute the BRRRR strategy or build rental portfolios, making it as seamless as possible for out-of-state investors.Best of luck, and let me know if you have any specific questions!

To defer all of your gain, you'll want to trade up in value, replace all the debt (meaning new properties have at least $350,700 of debt), and not take any cash from the exchange (this is boot which = taxable gain).As for replacement property, it just has to be real property - meaning it can be commercial, STR, land, etc!

Operated as an executive high-end rental for 2 years and cash flowed nicely while rented.