., through a Tenant-in-Common (TIC) agreement), as partnership interests are specifically excluded from 1031 exchanges under IRC 1031(a)(2)(D).

If the interest rate is still a barrier, you could explore adjusting your deal structure or negotiating with the seller to see if there is any flexibility on the price or terms to make the deal more attractive for buyers.Overall, while the interest rate may make it more challenging, it’s not impossible to work through.

In the meantime, I would like to gain experience through employment with an existing real estate or property management company.Is there anyone out there that can provide me with some good advice/guidance as to the best and most practical route to achieve that goal?

I used Roofstock to sell one of my rental properties in TX as their sales commission is lower than going through traditional sales channels. 

Now most of the time we don't see househackers/investors use in-house or portfolio loans from banks because sometimes they have more restrictive guidelines and higher fees for holding it which might cause the numbers not to work or for the deal not to go through entirely. 

I’ve had more success filling vacant units by word of mouth/ networking with other agents in my market recently than I have through the typical advertising methods.

Here’s a list of non-recourse lenders you can look through.  

Both properties have a substantial amount of equity that’s essentially sitting idle.Would it be a good idea to tap into this equity (through a HELOC, cash-out refinance, etc.) to fund future fix-and-flip projects or purchase additional rental properties?

The tenant has proof that the rent payment went through successfully and was processed.

It’s essentially the wealth you’ve built through homeownership.