for A traditional sale in this market will move just as fast & help the seller retain that equity in the sale. 

Hi, @Christian D.What size office building are you looking to acquire?

It might also look better mathematically to do a traditional cash out refi and and pay off current 1st position lien holder and take the cash for what you need.

Both houses are currently held in traditional mortgages and have 3 units each.

If homeowners see their bottom line w these services and with a traditional sale most people will go with the inconvenience of showing their home for a week and being in escrow for a month to keep THOUSANDS of dollars in their pocket.Most homeowners don't know what their home is worth or that it has gone up as drastically as it has over recent years.

my traditional lender informed me that with my high student loan debt spoiling the debt/income ratio, I only qualify for 175,000 and no more.   

Are they found through traditional channels like Loopnet, or are they off-market?

Meaning there is a little more flexibility from a traditional bank.

If you go the traditional 1031 route - build relationships and start getting deals sent to you, then, when you feel ready, list your property and really start hounding for your purchase.

So a traditional selling would not satisfy your goal of being able to leverage most of your equity for another RE purchase.Choices to avoid the CG tax include living there for at least another year or 1031 exchange.If you want to start investing immediately options include a refinance, but interest rates have risen, or a HELOC.