So cap rate purchase is generally low and you are hoping for increased rent growth to further yields unless you built the complex from the ground up to own then you might have a 10 cap rate to cost versus buying in the market for a 6 for class A apartments  with little operating expenses.Watch out for (newly renovated) properties where some syndicators and sponsors do rehabs on the cheap but the expensive items are fixing to go out after you own it reducing yields heavily in future years.Newly renovated to these sellers might mean carpet,paint, some lighting fixtures.

Negotiating for them to take over the yard care in exchange for reducing the rent, sure.

One possible strategy that can reduce the risk of a 1031 Exchange is to consider using a Reverse 1031 Exchange transaction.The Reverse 1031 Exchange will allow an investor to spend all the time necessary to search and locate a suitable Replacement Property.

Have not considered any future vacancies or tax payments to reduce the question size.

Opportunity value on equity is reducing your rental income by $1700 and $1300.You need to either sell or at the very least pull out the equity to reinvest.

Know your market, buy right, rehab right, have the right Property Management, have the right tenant, reduce vacancy/turn over.

This will reduce your taxable W2 income (401(k) contributions offset your taxable income) and you are paying yourself the interest on the loan while preserving the ability to build up your retirement funds.

Some folks may say writing off little stuff is a waste of time, I see it as for everything I can deduct it reduces the profit side where you have to pay taxes on it.

On my new Schedule E I set up a new depreciation schedule reducing the Basis calculated above by the proportion of depreciation given by the DST.Help please.  

However, If you'd run a bunch of AUS scenarios for folks with that many financed properties, you'd know that Fannie in 99.99999999999999999999% of cases reduces LTV by 5%, which in your scenario would put it at 70%.