Dave, as always, your expertise in these matters is made apparent in the way you are able to explain things for neophytes like me to understand.As a follow-up question, for the remaining 150K that is being placed in a DST to avoid boot, is it the zero-coupon nature of the DST that is making the difference? 

Rather, by definition a like-kind real property exchange involves a trade of real properties within the United States that are the same in nature or character, even if they have different qualities.

Do you feel sight unseen offers are a natural progression to stay competitive and buy houses efficiently, or do you only offer on properties you've walked and reviewed in person?

Diversify,GrantIt seems like once a person gets started they naturally branch out.

Many MFHs are seller financed and the sales never get recorded naturally depressing the market.

It's arguably the ideal strategy for the area since we don't have much of "natural appreciation."

As mentioned, we've determined pretty well that managing the roof runoff in to drain pipe that leads the water to this side creek will prevent the major loss of future earth via erosion, but we still have the angular nature of these crevices that will continue to erode naturally if not managed, so I'm more dealing with how to go about backfilling it all without losing too much of the backfill.

It will probably come more naturally as I learn the industry.

And in fact, due to the nature of the freezy VT climate, no indication that anyone has even walked down the driveway for months. 

It would be worth pulling down the census data for the area to understand the population, median income and employment trends to get a sense of whether there is simply going to be natural pressure on the market.