Just remember anyone who has acted as your employee, attorney, accountant, investment banker or broker, or real estate agent or broker within the 2-year period ending on the date of the transfer of the first of the relinquished properties is considered your agent and is disqualified from being your QI.So definitely ask them for recommendations but they cannot act as your QI on the exchange. 

The #1 reason that Landlords fail, according to the American Apartment Owners' Association, is the landlord's failure to manage to the lease.  

Either myself or project manager wen I don't have time, because most contractors need daily supervision.

For owner managed properties like this we see expense ratios in the 35%+ range. 

I am based in Virginia and licensing requirements here seem manageable.

@Basit Siddiqi Have you considered getting an assistant to manage all of those things rather than a property manager.  

My partner and I have a General Construction company (CSL).

Quote from @Josh Otero: Hi BP community, I know you've got some crazy tenant stories and I want to hear it.I'll go first:1) I was managing a 5 story apartment building and a dog fell off the 4th floor balcony because of the owner not paying attention.

We got out of condo conversions couldn't really sell any of them and transitioned to ground up development of single family homes and three story walkup triplexes on a build to rent model which is much easier for us to manage and our exit isn't a sale it's just a refinance. 

-Interest-only payments, which help manage cash flow during the renovation.