@Douglas Alexander, best advice is to mind your numbers and don't fall in love with a particular piece of real estate.People get emotional over homes...

Or maybe the ESA letter is from a bogus online source that isn’t acceptable.

Would you mind sharing who please? 

I just joined Bigger Pockets to meet new like-minded investors and build my network.

@Matthew Brown If you don't mind diversifying your real estate portfolio there is a way to take advantage of both financing options and all of the benefits of the 1031 exchange.There is something known as a diversification exchange that allows you to sell your relinquished property and purchase multiple replacement properties.

Also, keep in mind that some aldermen have opted their wards out of AirBnB and the like as a blanket ban.

I'll definitely keep this in mind for the future.

Many think it’s strange to be scared of success, or they make fun of me for it, and I don’t understand it myself.I genuinely want to be rich and financially free; part of me believes I can do it, but deep down, my mind or whatever doesn’t.

Key things to keep in mind with your numbers are:Rent should be > PITI (principal, interest, taxes, & insurance) + maintenance + vacancy + capex + property management fee. 

It costs around $1,300 or so, and I believe (at least for me) the peace of mind that it is done 100% correctly is worth it.