Here's an article we wrote for BP a few months ago on the topic - https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/how-much-does-a-1031-exchange-cost.You'll always find each coast a little more expensive and generally companies who do fewer 1031s each year or who have other lines of business (which also causes a related party issue) will be more expensive than a dedicated QI practice.You can occasionally find a discount "internet exchange". 

I use Twitter primarily to connect with people I may know or thought leaders in various industries, but don't really consider it a place where you'd go to find leads as a real estate investor, agent, etc.Has anyone found it to be a successful platform for generating leads?

It has a forum dedicated solely to flipping/rehabbing.

So I want to express my eternal Gratitude to the founder of this site Joshua Dorkin for creating a platform in which individuals like myself can gain access to valuable information and other professionals...I look forward to meeting fellow investors and helping others any way I can!

Should we try to get the owners to ditch the realtor and get a dedicated short sale negotiator to work with the bank?

I personally would LOVE to see a dedicated section where ALL RE math is at least covered in basic to intermediate basis.

Word Press is an excellent platform for this very thing.

BTW - Once you get to 10 posts, you can create a buyer's list post in our forum dedicated to that.

HUD has gone through big changes in the last few months with many being negative.They are doing a lot of things that do not make sense.I haven't sold a HUD property in years because I just do commercial real estate now.Really think about this point for your career.If I a house is priced at 80k as the listing broker I will be paid.If you work with a buyer and ten offers are submitted you have only a 10% chance of getting paid with the accepted winning bid.On the REO side many have left the listing side because of asset managers 1% referral fee leaving them 2 if they are lucky before their broker split if they are not the broker.Count in BS designations that count a few hundred apiece each a year,conferences,computer platform fees,extending money for rekeys,offering cash for keys,and low price points and you make almost zilch for a big headache.With the Robo signing fiasco many banks are sitting on properties they own.This makes asset companies have to recruit agents for promise of potential listings by collecting fees.

While you may be regretting your choice to spend a lot of money on a degree that perhaps you are not using, it still represents an accomplishment that took a great deal of dedication on your part to achieve.