I’m using funds from a 1031 exchange for the deposit.Can anyone provide insights or guide me on how to refine my underwriting or ask the right questions to ensure my numbers are accurate and this is a solid deal?

Consider bringing in a partner who can help fund the rehab in exchange for a share of the profits.

You can fulfill the 1031 requirements so you can roll it into another. 2)Does the baseboards work fine?

Partner with Other Investors: One option is to collaborate with other investors or partners who might be willing to put up the EMD in exchange for a portion of the profit.

One of the terrible pieces of advice I received was from 2 people who suggested that I sell my California SFH rental (with lots of equity) to "cash flow" more and "acquire more doors" by doing a 1031 exchange into an apartment complex OOS or buy multiple SFHs/duplexes OOS.

Since each taxing municipality has different mill rates (property tax rates) a 1031 exchange into a state or municipality within a state where the mill rate is lower can help. 

I think we could exchange some valuable insights!

Under IRS rules (see IRS Publication 925 on Passive Activity and At-Risk Rules), when you sell a rental property, all suspended passive losses from that property and the rest of your portfolio become deductible in the year of the sale, provided you fully dispose of the activity and it is not exchanged for another property (like in a 1031 exchange).If you have $100K in losses from your entire portfolio, those should be applied to the capital gain from the sale of the property—not just the $50K from the specific property being sold. 

I would try and do a 1031 exchange.   

I’ve periodically had tenants at the Multis offer to “help with the landscaping” in exchange for a discount on their rent.