Being a lender for 10 years, all is that we required from the title company and the lender is that a notarized close was to take place. 

When you start to get into larger properties, it can begin to make sense. 

Suncoast is a very big company.  

The only information I had to go on was with the last Lender informed me so maybe it was specific to the company they were with.

Your real estate happens to be a % of the larger piece. 

I'm still in the process of growing my portfolio, but have heard others 1031 all their smaller properties into a larger building and have a property management company manage, OR, set up a seller financing deal with another buyer that gives you the cash flow you desire. 

Here are a few additional strategies that might help mitigate risk if you decide to rent the property:Hire a Strong Property Management Company: While you’ve already spoken with some PMs, consider finding one with extensive experience managing single-family rentals in Cook County specifically.

The PMS around here are pretty terrible, I've worked with a lot of the larger ones in Cleveland and I think they just take on more properties than they can effectively handle and don't hire enough additional employees to make it work. 

Total waste of time company.

You don't need to be larger than life, driving flashy cars, or using your looks to make a sale.