I dont want the money to become an issue but a by product of helping others ( scaling ). 

I look for liens that will be removed or that may stay, ownership history, platting, zoning, exit strategies, cost & profit analyses, and above all else; I physically look over the property.

It would be smart to do a full lease audit, estoppels issued, and tenant interviews.And if you are buying cash, there is nothing mandatory, since it is your money at risk. but again, physical condition inspections, understanding of tenants (they are a great source of information about issues with the property that the landlord may not know or may not disclose), surveys to understand accurate property lines, etc.

Great tools that get updated regularly.I am on the lending side of things and would be happy to hop on a call with you anytime to discuss financial strategies and help answer any questions you may have about nearly any loan product available to help you on your journey, even if they are not products my capital partners offer.We are all here to help you learn and grow.

How about the simple obvious that the inputs to deliver the service/product have a base-line and market prices have, OBVIOUSLY, been at about as lean of operating profit margins as can be. 

Here is the how I would explain it to a kindergartner:The true power of a 1031 exchange is the ability for an investor to meet their investment objectives without losing equity to taxation.With more money they can buy larger, multiple, or more productive properties.What is the alternative?

To better homes in the area and to create a product.

And as you already know, buying the home as your primary residence will help you take advantage of the best loan product there is.

I have done business with Dominion for their 30 year DSCR product. 

Bonus depreciation is just a special part of the US tax code.It allows you to take accelerated depreciation on portions of your property depending on when an asset is put into service.At the time of this writing, you can write off a huge portion (60% in 2024) of many qualified components that have a useful lifespan of 15 years or less.That means a certain percentage of things like landscaping, sidewalks, latches, appliances, fences, certain flooring, etc is depreciable in year 1.The bonus depreciation rate percentage changes yearly depending on the administration and the tax code.For years 2015 through 2017 first-year depreciation for all the items on a 15-year schedule or less was set to 50%.It was scheduled to go down to 40% in 2018 and 30% in 2019 and then 0% in 2020.But then Trump got elected, and he enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.That moved the bonus depreciation percentage to 100% from 2017 to 2022.In 2023 it went down to 80% and it’s currently at 60%.Depending on who gets elected again, 100% may be back on the table.Only time will tell.We know that the US government wants to incentivize more development and ownership of RE.They want Americans to continue to build and maintain our physical world.That’s why real estate is one of the most tax-advantaged assets in the US.Depreciation and bonus depreciation for RE are very positive and will likely continue in the years ahead.