Please speak with your tax accountant asap or find a 1031 intermediary asap.

When I purchased the property, it had the basement with tenants but the rental income wasnt taken into account and it was just considered a two flat, as it had two units in addition to the basement.

I have totally given up on Quickbooks though it remains the best accounting software for the non CPA type 

These guys are having fun because there are a lot of scammers and gurus out there selling LLC creation services and Wyoming Trusts and Cook Islands Trusts and if you believe all that b.s. you will end up needing to cash out refinance soon in order to access that equity in order to pay for all their services plus an accountant to keep track of the mess.

If a problem arises with the property, the City will attempt to contact the owner and hold them accountable.

You will also need to have a US Bank account.  

And I also see many questions popping up about running a short term rental business, which to me is more of a business than an investment although it does involve an investment in real estate. 

Provide a detailed accounting of deductions, along with the invoices, to show you’re acting in good faith.

However, we are able to offer this type of financing internally with our own funds on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the borrower’s profile, the property’s condition, and the scope of work.

I don't think rent to retirement can vet a deal any better than anyone else or you, they just have a bit of a system. but the new builds in Lehigh acres, Cape Coral, north port, etc are all garbage. septic systems, poor economics, low rent to purchase price ratios, you are banking on appreciation and buying at market. building direct is going to give you a competitive advantage on a 3 unit let's say worth 600,000 you are going to be 120k ahead than if you bought it through them. that's my analysis. if you are super lazy and too busy to make money and have millions to throw around then I'd recommend not thinking much about investing. but you can also invest in funds and be way omre passive than buying a new build from far away. but if you want to add real value then get involved and make it happen. getting wealthy isn't easy. you work hard for your money and there are build to rent developers like us that try to answer and add value to start buiding relationshipsl