As this thread has, I hope for all those reading it, demonstrated, there is no limit for me, in this case, since I'm buying a new primary, owner occupied property.I'd be happy to have the referral for the new construction fourplexes that will be done in about six (6) months as long as they can write business in AZ and UT.

The key is to maintain a clear paper trail that demonstrates the flow of income and expenses.

Are there other comps nearby that are similar in size that could be used to demonstrate proof of concept? 

To me that is a blatant disregard of his responsibility, and demonstrates how he would treat other 'formalities' like obeying a lease.

The 2nd reason for this blog is… to demonstrate, network, and motivate.

The fact you are correlating your refund with your prep expense demonstrates that u do not understand how your taxes work.

Because it demonstrates that I have the intelligence and mental toughness to make it in the Big 4.  

If your intent when you purchased was to hold for productive use then the 1031 is appropriate.There are many ways to demonstrate your intent including your past history, current practice, written correspondence with professionals revenue generated over time, and reporting on your tax filings.In general also holding longer is better than shorter.

The sooner the better for sure or you may have problems demonstrating why you are entitled to holding back any portion of the security deposit.

This isn't a comprehensive list of course but a few things that came to mind immediately.I think a good way to attract investors is to attend real estate investing meet ups and document your investing experiences to share on social media platforms to demonstrate your credibility.