However, there are some drawbacks to putting a rental property in a trust - first setting up a trust can be expensive and involve a lot of paperwork, the rental property may be subject to rent control and liability insurance may be more expensive for a trust.

Personally, I’ve decided to sell two properties out of my portfolio of 26 to address some unexpected expenses and other debts.I was hesitant at first because I didn’t want to let go of any properties.

 I used to use a bookkeeper and it was expensive, especially considering the size of my portfolio at the time.

Quote from @Donald Hatter: Pros:- Builders have many homes to sell at one time so it is easier to negotiate a better deal than with a home owner in the same neighborhood who is trying to sell their primary residence - Buyers bust out of deals all the time and builders don't like holding completed homes- Lower maintenance which leads to easier property management expenses.  

Just make sure to account for any additional operating expenses when projecting your cash flow.

If you only grab one a year...it won't take you long to have your moderate living expenses covered fully. 

In reality, most older homes will cost you considerably more in maintenance, capital expense, and vacancy (people just generally like to live in and rent newer homes).

But overall, I agree with you that people who can figure out how to purchase, should because they'll pay similar in monthly expenses and get the benefit of owning a place.

The 1031 exchange offset $300k of that cost so our out of pocket expense was $120k.

When analyzing your offer, make sure to factor in operating expenses, rehab costs, and vacancy rates.