We have our own design team, contractors, and real estate agency under one roof, which saves time, cuts costs, and improves communication across projects.

The free marketing is not effective in a competitive market neither is the marketing strategy.

(many contractors are going to bite off more than they can chew and communication will be key). 

From there, I would like to consider a 1031 exchange in the future to acquire more units.My current property management company suggested that they could handle a mid sized apartment building but I would absolutely not consider them for it as I believe they have overextended themselves and communication is lacking.

Point is the above comments there are many other more effective ways to meet the FINCEN stated objectives for tax evasion, money laundering and terrorism.   

Unfortunately, my experience has been problematic, to put it mildly:* Communication: There were significant communication issues, including difficulty scheduling calls, which is still an ongoing problem.* Additional Charges: Jenny requested that I deposit on her checking account an additional $20-25k for her to purchase furniture, which I refused because I thought it was very strange, opting to give my card # instead.* Work Quality: Jenny never showed up to the house, she sent 2 people instead, she never mentioned she would not show up herself, she never asked for approval to send two others instead, they did not complete the job, and there were multiple unauthorized charges on my card.* Receipts and Expenses: Once I brought to Jenny's attention that we were 20k above budget, she refused for days to give me the receipts, saying that I needed to give her my credit card statement first.

My business has access to AppFolio, but it doesn't seem to communicate with the STR side of things. 

2- if there is a “problem” Will the “solution” discussed solve it in a cost effective, consumer accepted way?

I have a calculator (semi-ugly but effective excel sheet) I use to look at the numbers on all 1031 exchanges I’m considering.Let me know if you want help with the calculations

But, I bet-ya it's also effective.