Ultimately, the best option for you depends on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and long-term plans.

I found him here on BP under agent search and he does own several properties according to him. 

A little back story on our company is that we are a real estate investment company and we are currently working with several VC's to secure funding.

You're not risking your prior 1031 exchange by simply changing the strategy you use. 

This section will explain the role of ESG in real estate, detailing how properties that meet these criteria tend to have higher valuation premiums, better market performance, and lower risks associated with climate change and regulatory compliance.Case Studies: Success Stories of Sustainable Real EstateTo illustrate the real-world impact of sustainable practices, this part will present case studies of successful sustainable real estate projects.

You could also leverage the property if you want to really scale fast with higher risk.

It's not worth risking the invalidation of your IRA account which would cause penalties and taxes.  

CPA/client relationship is definitely is something that needs careful consideration because want to find something that is the best fit for you in terms of risk tolerance level as well as budget.I just helped BP actually build out a CPA finder page so if you are still looking, check out that page to see service providers that have experience in working with RE investors https://www.biggerpockets.com/business/finder/tax-and-financ...

Context: I purchased a 2 family unit several years ago.

Maybe you would rather lose the deposit, then get into a lifelong bad deal.Just double check the numbers and if you can do a real inspection with a license inspector it’s worth a couple hundred to not put yourself at risk of losing thousands