Because everything has to be done at "arms length" this could be your best bet, and an opportunity to invest outside your area.Do some research on turn-key providers, the markets that make sense, and if the entire strategy works for you.Consult with your CPA; in guessing it would be far easier to keep your accounts separate, and each one holds an entire property within (not splitting properties, in other words.)If the $50k homes aren't to your liking, you can always make more contributions until you've got enough for an $80k home...

Probably cost you $1000 all in and you'd probably get a deal done.When people hear 1031 they think "Overpaying is better than giving a pound of flesh to the IRS, I bet I can get a great price for my apartments from this buyer."

I don't know for sure, but considering the price, age and required maintenance of properties in that area, im willing to bet you're going to have a negative return for this year and each of the next 5 years until rents cover your expenses.What is your investment goal?

I would bet every landlord here feels the same.In the same logic, a lender would never consider any previous interest received as payoff of principle.

Persistence is the name of the game, your best bet is to @ least send it once a month and create a system to notate when you contacted an owner. 

This is just over the 3 year mark and I believe I'll have to pay full capital gains (appreciated over $80k from date of purchase).I'm assuming my best bet is to give him the boot and make sure I sell the property before 3.1.17.  

(Bloomberg) -- Real estate investors could be in for a shock if interest rates rise or demand in some markets continues to fall because “amateurs” are plowing money in at high prices, betting on rent increases that may not continue, said Tom Barrack, the billionaire chairman of Colony Capital Inc.

I've read a million threads where people hint at appreciation and everyone's hair spontaneously combusts and a lot of people start freaking out about not betting on appreciation and invest for cash flow.

Finding a good renter who likes condo living seems like a relatively safe bet...if the positive cash flow is not eaten away by capital expenditures, lack of reserves, and routine maintenance on big ticket items.  

However, many of the buy and hold deals I'm seeing investors do this year look like pure speculation to me, where there the deal is nothing more than a bet on the continued upward trajectory of the Austin market.