I would be very careful in working with a 1031 Exchange Qualified Intermediary that provides ("sells"0 replacement property solutions as part of their services. 

Passive Activity Losses: Are there ways to offset my W-2 income with rental losses, or do I need to qualify as a real estate professional for that to work?

To qualify for installment sale you must selling an investment property, it was a rental for at least a short period. 

This way if there’s physical damage by residents the company pays the first $500 to fix it.

Depending upon the Lenders if you qualify, you can get up to 100% in Rehab Financing and/or up to 90% LTV on Purchase Costs.

The growth of 1.6 million additional residents will require investments in infrastructure, housing and transportation, the organization added.The numbers were provided by the group’s research team with data from the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management and the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

I've got about $525K in equity in the property, but lenders have told me that I cannot get a HELOC to access that equity for additional purchases because the duplex was financed as an investment - they have said TX law dictates that HELOC can only be used on primary residences.

You can always consider doing a cost seg study on a property that you buy and that can also help with tax benefits if you cannot qualify for the real estate professional status.

If it became necessary to evict a resident for another reason, unpaid rent is usually a pretty clear lease violation.

Additionally, the study must be completed by “qualified individuals” and “professional firms” that are competent in construction, design, auditing and estimation procedures for building construction.So while a specific methodology isn’t required by the IRS, taxpayers must ensure that their depreciation deductions and classifications of property are substantiated with supporting evidence.