. $180k was held by our attorney (our Intermediary) in his trust account and used later that day to purchase the 2nd like rental home .My question: Even though we didn't claim this as a 1031 Simultaneous (same-day) Exchange on our 2016 tax returns, I do think that it may qualify as such and be worth amending our 2016 tax returns for a refund.

Stay out of it would be my advice unless you want to play intermediary between two dog owners who are not grown up enough to solve this problem on their own. 

Also I'm on my phone so this is gonna be to the point.When I clicked your link on mobile it took me to some kind of intermediary page.

Work with competent 1031 exchange Qualified Intermediaries.A competent 1031 Qualified Intermediary will provide you with proper documentation going through the exchange process. 

998 you were able to deal with a bank head on without any intermediaries and you were able to pick up properties at 70 cents or less.

@Rich Weese  When we sold our one TX at the end of last year I put the proceeds in with a 1031 intermediary and HUSTLED to find off market deals to roll them into.  

Moreover, they had other divisions that covered the whole process—from non-owner occupied financing to property management and being a 1031 intermediary.  

There is now an intermediary company, so of cource the appraisers are making less and we are paying more.What's your experience with recent appraisals in the market?

These are not hard to execute and the fees to the intermediary are pretty cheap. 

Total strangers with intermediaries.