If you decide to sell and find an investment property with a greater cash flow potential.A 1031 exchange would allow you to indefinitely all of the tax and use it to your advantage to reinvest into larger nicer property/properties.

I've had them long enough to keep pushing up rents so that I am at the top of my niche, but know not to exceed it because I'm just about at the point where if I raised rents another $50-$100 I'd be crossing over into the lower end for larger units.

Indianapolis (where I'm a realtor and work with all sorts of investors) is a great market to find that and get a mix of solid appreciation too if you know where to buy

My “reasoning” is based on two points1- the current system of property records filing in a million different jurisdictions with expensive title searches necessary for almost every title transfer and mistakes still being made can be made much less expensive, much faster, and much more reliable through migration to some sort of “blockchain” National registry.2- Numerous investments have been divided into, and offered as tranches of the whole.  

.- Scrap bar stools and get a larger dining table + chairs to sit 6Bedroom 1- Too many lights.

Are you set on starting with a larger property, or would you be open to beginning with something smaller to build experience?

As a result I've sort of giving up on the dream. 

Sorting through all the sub-600 FICO score applicants, dealing with nonpaying tenants who are always breaking things and more, doesn't seem to be compatible with the flat fee model.Be interested to know of any flat fee PMC's successfully making it happen with Class C & D properties/tenants...

Would it be buying more of the same type of properties or expanding into larger properties?

When I said size doesn't matter as much I meant for STR you don't need massive rooms, larger common areas, etc.If you went MTR you might go further away from RTP and go for higher bedroom count, for less appreciation on average.NOTHING about this post is gospel.