Our income consists of cash flow from rental income from 40 SFH we own and manage ourselves (none of the homes have traditional mortgages tied to them).

I am new to the whole real estate game.I currently reside in Chattanooga, TN.Chattanooga is consistently growing and I want a piece of the action, the only problem is that for my budget ( I don't have any investors) the only thing I can afford is in an "up and coming" neighborhood.

You'll want to make sure that you continue reporting the property on your tax return consistently and your form 8824 which reports the 1031 to the service will be on your personal return as well.  

The portfolio consists of 6 SFH's and 1 Duplex. 

the lender was "local" but worked for a well known/national bank and the deal details remained fairly consistent from soft quote to actual close.  

hi brandon. here is what you do. you need to build your credit as much as you can. first thing you want to do is take $1000 of that money you have and go to a bank near you, any bank. put it in an account. a week or so later, go back to that bank and ask to take out a secured loan for $1000. secure it with that account. they are NOT going to deny you. then, take that $1000 that you just borrowed and head to another bank and make an account with that $1000. a week or so later, go back to bank #2 and take out another secured loan for $1000, securing it with the $1000 account you just opened. repeat the process again and again until you have to pay back the original $1000. when you consistantly pay back all of those $1000 loans, you will have established your credit, using only $1000 of your own money, and you will have multiple banks that would be willing to loan you money in the future because you now have credit with them . in the mean time, look around for real estate deals with the rest of your money, they are out there and you can find them with the money that you have. good luck to you

Additional notes - our current student rentals in the area consistently cash flow $350/month including all expenses.

"A" tenants mainly consist of high-end white collar professionals (think of New York Manhattan high rise buildings), whereas "D" tenants are the other extreme (really low income neighborhoods").Keep in mind "A" tenants does not necessarily mean that they are easiest to handle.  

@Ezra NugrohoThe best investment for a SDIRA is the one that provides you with the best balance of asset security and consistent returns.  

Once you get a tenant settled in and checks coming consistently, start looking for a new place.