Or would there need to be a separation where the $200k 1031 money is kept in my name, and the $100k mortgage is kept in my wife's name?

I should have spent more to soundproof between units and separately meter the basement unit.

I was shocked when my (California) attorney STRONGLY suggested that we need to have a separate LLC for each property we have.   

It feels like I should be able to use a couple amortization tables and keep track of each property separately in one excel sheet, but I'm not 100% sure how to set that up to be accurate.Thanks in advance for the insight!

If you didn't win a Respectful debate with an inspector on the site, or at least get him to pause and return, your stuck doing what he asks for in this instance.That being said, its fair to argue with them that the plumbing permit can be inspected and finalized, and a separate  citation against the property should be recorded for whatever violation the inspector believes must be addressed.  

It feels like I should be able to use a couple amortization tables and keep track of each property separately in one excel sheet, but I'm not 100% sure how to set that up to be accurate.Thanks in advance for the insight!

Maintenance management is a different story but most managers charge for maintenance management separately. 

Your tenants need a separate business license for their activities.

Do you use that separately from Zillow or do you use that as a secondary check once you have found a few potentials on Zillow?    

I'm married but living separate for almost two years.