My brother currently lives in Dallas and pays an arm and a leg to rent an apartment (He is married so cant house hack).

However, if your goal is cash flow, it might be tougher because of the higher prices and lower RTP ratios.

When you convert an asset to Roth you have to get a third party valuation and often they come in at a major discount..25-60% so your taxable amount is way lower than the actual conversion.  4. 

Chris...The property is paid off...currently sitting empty...with needed minor repairs.Trying to deferr Capital Gains Tax liability until my earned income is lower in retirement.Would this change your mind?

You will likely have to lower the rent because you are taking space away from them AND making them share space. 

For beginners, focus on markets with lower entry costs, high investor activity, and steady demand—like parts of the Midwest or the Southeast.

A good example of this might show high return for a house in Detroit that is 100 years old, next to a GM plant, vs lower return for a 10 year old house next to the Tesla plant in Taylor, TX.   

Since 1031 is tax deferral, I assume the gain is calculated with the likely substantially lower basis from the pre 1031 property acquisition + additional cost over the years.And yes, recapture all depreciation ( on both prop before and after 1031) make sense.

Over the whole year we have had higher listings than the previous year (the last several years have had lower and lower inventory each year).

this will just set you back.i don't know what time you have available to dedicate to RE - if you are able, you could try to build a team and explore a market within a couple hours of you with a lower price point.