@Bryan Cavellier, You can 1031 with any US property including Guam, the USVI and ...drum roll- The Northern Marianas Islands (go figure but I actually had a realtor from there in a class of mine recently) into any other US or one of those territories.  1031 is a federal statute so it's applied the same in all locals with just a few variations state to state at the state level. 

Where I would ultimately like to end up is with multiple properties that I rent out, even on an international level, as I love to travel.In order to achieve my goal: What strategies could you all recommend?

My recommendaiton would be to build the ground level as a "wet basement".

Granite or Quartz on all counter tops including bathrooms.. our up stairs is 9 foot.. and our single levels are 10 foot to 14 foot which NO other builder does in a subdivision type build only custom homes over 1 mil would have that.. flooring is engineered hard wood.. custom cabinets with soft close on all doors in the house..

@Kent FordI agree with @Ryan Konen regarding areas like San Antonio’s outskirts, parts of Fort Worth, and growing cities like Tyler and Lubbock, which are becoming popular due to relative affordability and job growth.We will see an interest in smaller metro areas where prices are more accessible and a surge in new construction aimed at entry-level buyers.

I am not trying to be negative or a Karen, but being real so you can analyze all your options on what course of action you should take for your business and what risk level you are comfortable with.

An annuity is definitely a different level of risk exposure than this type of an alternative investment. 

The roofer gave me a invoice with high level bill of material, and a statement that it has 2 years of warranty and brand name of the shingles.It does not say brand name warranty or model or batch number etc. 

It's your preference really and usually comes down to your tolerance level for the nuances that accompany each one.   

At a high level there isn't anything glaring.