Talk with a custodian on the 1031 plan so you know for sure the asset you're buying will conform to the rules.

Conforming loans follow set rules and this is what most banks and mortgage brokers offer.

It may violate all sales rules, but I tell new investors fairly regularly not to invest when I feel their objectives are misaligned with the fund we are offering.

Michael,Market's definition is dependent upon the population size in general, but you should also look at the supporting factors such as the infrastructure, job market, etc... 

The house was originally a duplex, but the city enforces a rule that a duplex that sits vacant for 12+ months in our zoning district, then it will be a non-conforming use and thus must be converted to single-family. 

A few years ago I came upon a blog post or article somewhere that showed how much money it would take to buy rentals to meet the income of a traditional 4% rule retirement account.

If not, you might look for another agent who is understanding of the principle of a property paying for itself; one who also owns investment properties.I use the 1% rule before looking closer at a property, because my area fits this test: the monthly rents have to be 1% of the list price.

The reason is I know which lenders:do a good jobstay on top of the necessary tasksknow how to be creative within the rules (some people don't fit into the standard mold of a buyer, and some lenders don't know how to get them approved, and some lenders know how to get them approved)and which lenders can actually close deals.Another reason is, as someone like you who wants to house hack, not all lenders are experienced in it.

This costs you nothing but as a general rule, the agent you invite to do this is the one you should list with, if you decide to sell.

Oregon has many rules.. one that most miss is that you need a developers license to fix and flip homes.. unless your a GC.. but as investors we need those..