They are a great tool for asset protection (when you have assets to protect), but they are by no means the end all be all of liability mitigation.

I sold the properties and want to rebuild.  

Naturally your relinquished property must be sold before you can take title to the new property, but its a great way to make the process as smooth as possible.Even though the time frames can feel daunting I find that 95% of exchanges from my clients are successful.

YouTube is going to be your best research tool. 

But if you could divide that portion off and keep it in a different business name , if you ever sold the property , you or your heirs would always be getting a check 

Meeting that 2 in 5 of the last requirement allows a single owner to shield $250k of appreciation and a married couple to shield $500k.Unless you predict a lot of income from the MTR or you feel that there is a lot of appreciation incoming over the next three years (minus time get the property sold), you may want to consider collecting your $100k (passing GO) and redeploying that money to whatever you feel is its best use. 

If we are checking property tax records, should we not buy a home where different LLCs (investors) have owned it and sold it every 2 to 3 years?

Sold it recently to make a nice profit.

Be sure to check out the free tools BP provides to help analyze deals you may have and also market insights.

Be sure to check out the free tools BP provides to help analyze deals you may have and also market insights.