Check with a tax professional, but if you have lived in the home for 2 of the previous 5 years, you may not owe any capital gains tax, and so a 1031 is irrelevant.If you didn't you may want to wait.If you do go ahead, read about 'mortgage boot'.

Add taxes and insurance and you're looking at closer to $3,000 a month.

Factor in landlord friendly laws, 4 lowest property taxes that don't reassess on the sale and the straight cash flow is not as important.

Let's talk about leveraging tax strategies to optimize your real estate investments.

This can result in higher depreciation deductions in the earlier years of ownership, providing tax savings.Tax Situation: Consider your tax bracket and the impact of increased depreciation deductions on your tax liability.

I 100% agree CPAs and real estate focused accountants need to be consulting on these when they are made and give advice to their clients on the implications for their potential investment into someone else's fund. 

Do your homework and reach out to some of the companies that offer these types of self directed retirement accounts for some free consultations...

Came across the real estate professional status which could help her in convincing her to let go of her w2 (with tax savings).

do we pay a transfer tax? 

Some agents might lean towards a fixed fee for off-market deals if they're more in a consulting role rather than running the whole show.