If so, what would make u buy a piece of land vs a house?

You should come to visit before buying. 

When you do a 1031 exchange, the next property you buy continues down the same depreciating term. 

This isn't the last home you will be buying in your lifetime.He should not get upset that you are doing your due diligence.

So owner may be happy with performance.I think your time would be better served trying to find a property to buy instead of looking for a job helping someone manage their property.

Here is the how I would explain it to a kindergartner:The true power of a 1031 exchange is the ability for an investor to meet their investment objectives without losing equity to taxation.With more money they can buy larger, multiple, or more productive properties.What is the alternative?

But you can still buy leftover liens from the 2016 sale at 18%.

I am interested in using a hard money lender to buy a property to flip.

If you truly don’t believe the property will appreciate and that rents will increase faster than expenses you should NEVER buy that property.

This will help narrow your Buy box and make your efforts more fruitful.