Example: $90,000 in total debt on $100,000 in total real estate portfolio equals 90% debt to assets ratio.From my experience talking with REIT wholesalers, 70% is considered the maximum prudent leverage in the institutional space, while 50% is generally considered prudent leverage.

All else being equal, the comments above are correct.

You will be taxed at your marginal tax rate.Best bet: Consult your CPA and try to not do you taxes yourself.It actually is "capital gains"; however, it is tax at  ST Capital Gain Rates  which equals your marginal tax rate.

I have mixed feelings about them as do many seattlites,  but generally speaking they are more organized and better managed than the currently available alternative  (tents,  broken down RV or cars,  or piles of cardboard)   ---   I'd trade a larger tiny house village  for an equal reduction in the number of "unsanctioned" campers in an equal radius of my home  (and investments)  any day.That said,   I do disagree with the "low barrier" ones (which allow drug use/etc). 

You could still use a 5% owner occupant loan to buy up to a 4 plex (I believe - mortgage folks correct me if I'm wrong)  with your 1031 as long as the 3 units you rent equaled the value of the property you sell.3.

Compare the profits from flipping (accessing the equity) that you could have right now, to your monthly CF (total).How long would it take your cash flow to equal your equity?

What are the benefits of using an agent who doesn’t shop around (assuming all things equal, obviously).

And to be clear, you must use All of your cash received from the sale, not just the profit, along with buying a property of equal or greater value than what you sold, to defer all taxes. 

The buyout would be equal to the original cash the flip partner put in plus the profit you agreed on.  

Seems like a reasonable hypothesis.For the rental business case, the supply side is equally important - would be interesting to see someone's data analysis on where housing supply is least likely to increase.