Hi All,I've been searching the NYC/NJ area for approx. a year now, analyzing different markets and trying to figure out the best areas to attack for my first RE investment (don't want to screw it up).

I was working on one property and I did exactly that , I searched by lot and block numbers.

A quick search turned up 10 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me for an article which seems good, "Your First Year in Real Estate" and "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent" and many other books, and I don't even want to get sucked into Youtube finding examples :)I've heard that new agents sometimes get assigned (or asked to volunteer) for "desk duty" to handle walk-ins.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcastIf you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

., with respect, New York State has a Unified Judicial system site:  https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/webcivilLocalL/T cases are always available and can be searched by plaintiff or defendant, searchable by county and other criteria. 

Perhaps it's because I am searching the forums more than browsing but the current state of the housing market and concerns purchasing because of it don’t seem to be discussed.

She was not involved save for the first 2 visits and the last full month of our searching and actually looking at listings.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/usersSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcastIf you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

Of course, searching for a market that's over a minimum size, helps. 

By no means an expert in 1031, but I have used the tool to purchase property locally here in Telluride.Maybe some of the experts can correct me if wrong, but you may be able to use a reverse 1031 to give your timeline a little more flexibility.