And if the deal goes bad, you lose them money and the relationship.I would spend some time reading about partnerships and how to structure them properly so you don't get in a bind.

I offer homeowners a contingency plan best on their family needs and their times it is not in their best interest or best solution where they may need either sell their home to an investor for a discount or in market value.

There is also Pipeline Database that includes everything residential, with 4 or more units planned (not yet in DOB) and under construction (in DOB) in the five boroughs of New York City.https://nancypackesinc.com/nancy-packes-data-services/

If I don't have an offer soon, I have a realtor I plan to list with.  

So I said its probably best to just pay the tax.If an investor overpay a ton, just to save on taxes, most likely they'll be inflicting significant financial damage to their portfolio… it’s probably best to opt out and pay the tax.1031s aren't structured in a way that makes someone "overpay" - it mainly comes down to poor planning which puts them in that situationNever let the tax tail wag the dog!

@Erin SpradlinNot exactly the same, but your question reminds me of the debate in the STR world about spending time on a direct booking site. 

What's your risk tolerance, the time you can spend on real estate, the cash that you have access to, etc.

Without the resources to spend the money and time to find off market deals, do proper due diligence, and to fix the problems that will come from "deals" that likely have issues preventing them from going to market, it's an uphill battle for most.

When you were spending the two years commuting, were you the only "employee?" 

That will help you get numbers together to see how much you can spend on the addition and still get a ROI.