@Jacob CampbellMy understanding is you cannot sell your relinquished property and roll over proceeds into a property you own to payoff debt. 

If you don't have a point of contact at PadSplit, I'd be happy to connect you with one so you can get the ball rolling ASAP. 

Funny how, as the years roll by, there’s been a major shift in my approach.

However it’s hard to get that ball rolling without any deals under my belt even though I do have experience with managing a syndication and property management through my professional career. 

So they are selling and rolling that into several income producing properties.

All that being said, beggars can't be choosers, and when you're going after your first property it's more important to get your foot in the door and learn the business than it is to make a killing on your first unit - i.e. if you have to make a slim margin to get a great case study, that's better than trying to charge 30% for something you've never done before and spending a year trying to convince someone to roll the dice on you.

There are so many real estate investors that are cash rich, but don't show much income on their taxes, so you having a great salary could be a real asset to someone like that to obtain traditional financing.I certainly wouldn't look at the 1 bed condo as waste, I bought two one beds in North Brooklyn years ago and am not selling them to roll into multi families, you could do the same thing with some patience. 

When March rolls around, I'd send a notice out indicating that to preserve their current rental cost, they would have to sign/renew their lease for the next school year prior to a specific deadline (like April 1).

I just want some general guidance on how to buy a 10 unit with my own money or rolling 3-5 of my SFH over in a 1031.

The owner went on the roof using a ladder and took a couple of wacks at the chimney with a sledgehammer and big chunks of brick, morter and clay flue fell down on the roof and damaged the roofing, and rolled off into the yard where the boys broke it up.The put in wheelbarrow and took it to a pickup truck which squatted heavily when filled with bricks.