To ensure I navigate these legal aspects correctly and make informed decisions, I’m looking for recommendations for a knowledgeable real estate lawyer or legal entity in the area.

Or to the entity that manages it?

You, your money partner, an entity you both hold ownership in?

@Ted Akers  OK I got it.. you take title or an entity you have ownership has title .. and no loan is done..

I had to mail mine in MULTIPLE times because each time they received it, they found YET another thing to reject it for (not signed properly, points not categorized under each broker, business entity not organized properly, etc. etc. ) - imagine how backwards this is when they could just go through the entire application and tell you in one shot all the deficiencies you need to rectify and to mail it back again. 

I am the custodian (no 3rd party custodian) and beneficiary of both entities and can invest from either as I choose.

Hey all you land trust junkies I just got an e mail from a title company in MO that closed a deal a few years ago and the buyer put it in a land trust they are trying to sell .. but the title company wont insure it as they claim land trust are not legal entities in MO.so title needs me to do a new deed to clean up title which of course we will do.. but just think if the sellers in other situations were not in the bizz like us and would not understand or respond or you cant find them all those land trust are dead in the water currently.  

Once title is in your name or an entity you are the owner of the servicer has to provide an accurate estoppel aka payoff?  

The IRS requires that the entity that completed the 1031 exchange (in this case, the LLC) remains the owner to avoid triggering capital gains taxes.One approach might be to hold the property in the LLC for a period (generally recommended at least a year) to demonstrate intent to hold it as an investment.

I am not a tax/legal expert, but as an underwriter on DSCR deals, I have seen many entity structures.