I am completely new to the investing side and would love to find something to meet new people/learn as well as learn more about the city. 

I completely understand the importance of maintaining a professional relationship with tenants, and I will definitely keep that in mind.To answer your questions, I am still working on narrowing down my price range, but I’m aiming for something budget-friendly as this will be my first purchase.

But most of these bridge loans have future funding components where the lender will fund renovation work as the work is completed and add that to the loan balance. 

I also completely understand the frustration of navigating through "Joker brokers" and fake lenders who promise more than they can deliver—one of the biggest challenges in the industry today.Regarding your approach to accrual-based repayment options, that’s a huge help for flippers managing tight cash flow, and it's great that you offer that flexibility.

Once the renovations are complete, you could either refinance it into a long-term loan or list it for sale.Happy to answer any further questions!

Completing the setup will likely lead to smoother operations and peace of mind in the long run.

In general, assuming someone isn't a complete doof when they buy, I don't think leveraging is as risky as people tend to think it is.

However, I wouldn't say it is a complete tax-free strategy. 

And you are taxed on it.the easy answer to your situation is to complete the full 1031 exchange. 

It will help round you into a more complete individual as you continue to develop and mature.