My 1031 deadline to identify is approaching (7 more days) and I have not found replacement property as inventory is at all time low in san jose/bay area and prices are insane. Looking for suggestions on cities I shoul...

That evolution is healthy even if it means people lose a lot of money.

I've been running the numbers on multiple locations and i have yet to find a property that can produce and fall within the 2% rule. 

There's very few circumstances where a seller shouldn't be able to produce tax returns, and if they can't, then you'd better tell them to get their CPA to certify the financials they send you and put their name on the line if they weren't truthful.  

I think a lot of markets like you mentioned are going to be protected from the next correction due to multiple industries all producing jobs. 

Investors are seeking hidden value and potential and often underestimate the demands on time, effort and expense to produce the vision or desired result.

Cleaning fees generally produce a profit, but not enough that I would include them in my calculation or rely on them to determine return on investment.

I have a HELOC on one of  my rental properties ( 0 balance, so I have the full amount to use) Also, on the other 2 properties I can do a Cashout Refi or HELOC  that can produce aprox. 160k between the both. 

Appreciation is icing on the cake for all long-held real estate, but your STR should be producing returns for you right away. 

On balance I think it's roughly similar.We've lived here over 10 years on a fairly average street without any real issues, and have had a very healthy appreciation in the home value.