Study what kind of properties sell, for how much, and what kind of tenants live there.Think with a 10year+ vision, but a decently sound property (not a 1900 single family conversion that is begging for a full gut rehab), and but in the RIGHT location. 

If you cash flow $1K per month for 36 months, and then sell with the ability to pull back your original investment, would you consider that a win?

We then will either sell or keep it as a STR depending on what makes more sense for us. 

When you live in that duplex for 2 years and then sell you'll be able to take 50% of the profit tax free (the allocation for the side you lived in). 

Bonus: most managers are licensed and can buy/sell on the side to increase income.

Use three of those to give you an idea of what your property will sell for.Sometimes, I'll do a quick and dirty comparable analysis by averaging the value values from Zillow, Realtor, and Redfin.

Or sell using the 1031 exchange along with a partial 121 primary residence exemption There is a way you could take advantage of the 121 primary residence exclusion allowing you to take the first $250k of the gain tax free ($500k if married) and qualify for a 1031 exchange.Say you purchase a property as your primary residence (house hack extra rooms for extra income) and lived there for two years while stationed there.

In fact, New Jersey law prohibits you from listing personal identifiers on the form. 

In NYC trying to compare like properties and eliminating co - op debt, co-ops will sell for 60% to 200% of a comparable condo.  

Try being an agent, your phone number is EVERYWHERE and you get targeted by a whole industry that wants to sell you the latest gimmick.Here is what helped me.I answer calls and when it's a telemarketer I will interrupt them and say very friendly (because I don't hate the poor person who gets paid to do this and coached to be ruthless): Hey, so glad you called, can you do me a big favor?