@Tj Collins You can 1031 exchange in and out of any state, you can 1031 exchange in and out of any investment real estate - farm land, apartments, commercial, single family investments, new construction etc...The big things are timing on the 45 day window, 3 property rule and closing in a certain amount of time.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and maybe exchange ideas on how we can leverage these advancements. 

When you called, and it seems many did, the scammer answered the phone using my name (though I understand with a heavy foreign accent).

I want to find something local (Los Angeles area), move in, do small renovations to possibly build up more equity, do a 1031 exchange, and find something better. 

You are speaking a foreign language to most on here!  

My immediate goal is to acquire our first property and spend the next two years mastering the basics of real estate investment. ( Refining the Go and No property search criteria/ Learning the value of taxes and avoiding them as much as possible/ 1031 exchanges) Depending on my wife’s career orders, we may remain in Baltimore for 1-2 years, but I’m also exploring opportunities in West Texas, Sierra Vista, AZ, and Houston, TX.

You could leverage the value of the entire four plex to put towards a larger asset or try to 1031 exchange it. again, i am no expert but I would consider myself a fairly savvy investor.

One thing I'll add to an off-market deal is you might find a seller willing to do seller financing.You said, "I don't think the time exchanged to manage SFH would be worth my time and the cash flow most likely wouldn't be reasonable enough to hire a property manager.

Have you heard of Exchangers? 

Obviously past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance, but it seems like a great investment for accredited investors to get a low-risk, solid return in exchange for some illiquidity.