Looking to invest specifically in luxury beach rentals, so would love to connect with other people in that space (agents, lenders, etc). 

So I dont think I can say No here, or can I since we are married in a community property state?

You rate at 3.62% is pretty good but its on an FHA so you also have to consider the mortgage insurance if this is going to be your forever home.

Schools aren't as solid as gwinnett so tenants tend to be less sticky.From a duplex perspective - 2/1 units lease up very well in the outer markets like Cartersville, Douglasville, Newnan ect.

The IRS has challenged simultaneous "drop and swaps," so allowing some time between these steps is advisable.You hit this right on the head with your answer with TIC.You could also potentially do a Exchange Post Distribution (Swap and Drop).

We weren't super happy with anything we were seeing on the market, so my husband and I had just started writing letters and looking off-market... until we saw this property.It'd been sitting on the market for months.

So my response is assuming you are referring to residential lending specifically. 

So, I would start my search within a 1/2 mile radius and then expand to 1 mile if I need to. 3.

So why would you pay what they paid then? 

Cash flow is a function of LTV, so this is where it gets murky.