Most agents will want you to have a pre-approval, but the fact that you are reaching out to loan officers to get it will be enough to get the ball rolling.These 2 are your core when finding a property, make sure you enjoy working with them and trust them. 

I have been there a few times and really enjoyed the area. 

Then again, laws need teeth to be relevant don't they.Anywhos...on a personal note, I think your one of the good guys and I always enjoy your posts.

I enjoy flipping a couple houses at a time, but I don't want to turn it into a FT job. 

To make myself seem much less boring than it may seem, I do have some activities that I enjoy outside of browsing the BP forums and listening to podcasts on my Metro rides to and from work.

I enjoyed reading your story.

--just pay and stay--and enjoy.

Really enjoyed the area. 

In less expensive areas (like Phoenix) you could split up your 1031 funds into multiple properties, find a property manager (I know a few), get tenants lined up (we have ALOT here), mortgage the properties (we work with the best in the state, with great interest rates) and then enjoy the cash flow, tax breaks and appreciation.

I enjoy reading these discussions and have become more open to it as a property manager.