If you are selling for 1M after closing costs you could purchase two 500k properties in your exchange and own one cash and a mortgage on the second.

If you have a claim (and a pool is a ticking time bomb for a claim), your insurance company and their legal counsel will want you to provide all evidence of pool upkeep, including the grounds area.

I think I may have just answered my own question, but is it worth it to put only 10% down, and waiting for the equity to build to 20% in like a year and a half, or to bend over backwards, take out a loan and go in with 20% from the start?

It's probably going to mean paying points at closing, a high rate, and a serious pre-payment penalty (like 5 years). 

The only thing you need is experience a model, and a team.  

That’s a 10% increase compared to last year and a 1.2% bump from November.

I work extensively funding deals for flippers in KC  Toledo  Cleveland Baltimore city and a few other markets in mid west..

I left them recently like many others have in the last 5 months and even though our money was technically an investment and a limited partner contribution, they refused to give anyone their money back even after stating numerous times they would give people their money back if they choose to leave. 

We’ve found a great option for us in Tennessee with a cabin (currently used as a str) and a mobile home.

It sounds like you’ve got a solid strategy and a clear focus on building your portfolio with multiunit properties, house hacking, and BRRRR.