Make the note payable to the intermediary and then any payments made on the note during your 180-day exchange period can be added to the 1031 escrow account and improve your tax efficiency on the exchange.

I'm just curious would you improve your purchase price if you have worked with wholesalers in your market. 

For four years i had quietly fixed up the home and did improvements .

De-list your property and then re-list with the professional pictures, improved description, and adequate price point.6. 

Is there any room to improve your current rentals and increase rents?

May plan is to pay cash and wait until interest rate improves, then refinance and pull out $150k for a down payment on a second property. 

We'll ask a real estate attorney about issuing a "home improvement loan" after the sale.

. $3600 for a septic permit & design about 50k for sitework (very long driveway), though foresters have noted the potential for NRCS funding for road improvement and invasive species management (i.e. clearing the 8-acre area which has blackberry bushes galore) which we are in the very early stages of looking into. 

Don't be over zealous and tell them all the improvements you have done.  

There are deals out that make sense with 7%+, but not so much for a duplex.Refinancing a few years after purchasing can make your numbers look better if interest rates drop or your financial situation improves, allowing for a better rate.