Is your goal to use being an agent for your own personal investments or actively try and grow your agent business to eventually leave your W2?

I personally own a large portfolio here in Memphis and I hired a property manager for the very first proeprty and I still use them today. 

If you own real estate in a self-directed qualified account, the 1031 exchange is unnecessary.

He still has rights to the unit and owns the stuff in it.

It avoids having to pay the capital gains and lets the property keep appreciating while you still own it and reap those future rewards and more cash-flow from the property in the meantime.  

Also, living in a better area of NB is still much cheaper than the rent in the suburban towns that surround NB which will always be an advantage of owning there.

For my own portfolio I'm focusing on commercial deals and coaching fellow RE investors.

The lender clearly didn't communicate with you or set proper expectations, which is why it seems the expectations you have are inaccurate.Most lenders will NOT allow you to order your own appraisal/BPO. 

It is located in some of the newest developments on the north side of Katy, TX 77493 (I am not sure if I can post a link to the Zillow page or provide the address because I don't own it yet).

For OO owning it for 2 years of 5 gets $250K gains per spouse of tax free gain.