In a perfect world, you would have an inspector come through identify all the areas of concern and have them fixed before or shortly after you took possession.

When identifying profitable cities, what factors do you look for?

If you decide to do the exchange, make sure you already have some other properties identified that qualify.

No big, national, publicly traded banks.Now, once you have a bank identified.....how do you know?  

I didn't see any comments above on the following, but surprisingly (or not), some state governors identified areas around universities, airports, and other commercial centers as Opportunity Zones in addition to the lower income areas that we typically associate with OZs.

Analyze as many properties as possible and get comfortable with those markets your identify.

Any proof of duns should be on bank letterhead and ONLY have your legal name on it with ALL other identifying info like account numbers blacked out.I've only had this happen once with a client that used a mortgage broker that talked too much to the buyer's broker about my client.  

You have a choice - find the right tub fill volume so the shower head doesn’t leak by, or have a plumber replace it for a few hundred dollars.As for the ACs, getting them serviced would , at the least, identify the issue.

Any tips on how to identify owners who would be motivated to sell equity as a method of cashing out or refinancing?

I made valuable connections by just saying hello to them, and now I’ve got boots on the ground to help me identify a new property or any neighborhood changes.