Ideally looking for 4/5+ bedrooms w/pool.

My concerns with selecting a servicer are the following: customer service, access to funds, access to education materials so I can learn how to stay away from prohibited transactions.

Sounds good, will send you some feedback on a couple reverse 1031 exchange providers that our customers work with. 

As a full service design-build firm, we are capable of so much more (full custom new builds and large scale renovations and additions). 

These buildings typically have large rooms, wide corridors and high ceilings, making them ideal for an ALF. 

Everybody I have called said no except for one company that only does portfolios with established customers

If not we replace and charge the customer for time and materials.  

This applies in most areas of life, but if someone is simply agreeing with you, dropping PM fees down a percentage or offering discounts up front and sounds a bit desperate, they could be experiencing high turnover and poor customer retention.

Ideally we’d still be within an hour of NYC in any direction, with a public transit option to Manhattan.

Me not being an accounting guru....depreciation was a bit tricky to set up, however they have a few guides, customer support may walk you through it and searching via google will help you put the correct entries.