You almost completely disregard the "verbal acceptance," and push for the fully ratified contract, signed and delivered, by creating a sense of urgency that you feel is appropriate for the situation at hand.

This means that before a potential buyer is allowed to enter negotiations, and certainly before sensitive financial information is released, the seller and or his agent will want to be convinced that the buyer has the ability and willingness to complete a purchase.  

Would the properties need to be free and clear in order for the 1031 to execute or is simply owning, say, 10 turnkeys at $100k each sufficient enough to 1031 then purchase a larger MFH.

I simply got tired of looking at all the dud's they send over..

He is completely redoing 3 of the 4 units, and I may be able to talk him into redoing the fourth before closing.

The other two need a complete remodel.Can anyone help me analyze this property to see if it's worth it?

If you negotiate a good enough deal that pays you then complete the transaction with the investor to buy the house you have under contract.

So, basically, don't put the onus on others to be completely trustworthy when their whole world has started to crash and burn - do your own research on the status of the property and here's hoping that you'll be able to help your contact out..  

Why would you pay that loan off completely and start over when you can leverage leftover money you save each month and purchase more real estate?  

If the application meets your initial criteria then you could send them the SmartMove link to complete the background/credit check.