Your dollar amount for the 1031 is well suited to the multi-family market here.

Ideally, I’d love to find a 3+ bed 2 bath SFH that needs work but not a complete gut, live in it for a year while I fix it up, then refinance and start renting it out.

Ideally, I'd love to find a 3 bed 2 bath SFH that needs work but not a complete gut, live in it for a year while I fix it up, then refinance and start renting it out.

The right apartments, in the right location, bought at the right time, at the right price, should provide investors consistent positive cash flow, while we wait for rents to go up and the loan amount to be paid down a...

Ideally, you would work with your tax advisor to determine (1) if you are a real estate professional and (2) if you materially participate in the rental real estate activity which you referred to in your OP.

Brokers are always good... ideally their fees are baked into the better rate structures they can offer. 

The type of self-directed IRA that will best suit your situation and goals will drive the process of identifying the right firm to work with.A self-directed IRA custodian is a processing entity.

I would like to BRRRR this project and use a Private Money investor or Hard Money Loan for the purchase and rehab.I plan to cash out refi the property once the rehab is complete and rented so ideally I would only need the loan for 6 to 9 months before paying it off from the refi.I know that BP has Hard Money Lenders listed, but are there resources available to help me get in touch with Private Money Investors for this?

I live in NYC and ideally I would like to house hack in the Bronx but prices are extremely high and my income is not high enough to qualify for those houses.

When you file the suit, you can file a court lien against the property notifying subsequent purchasers that it is currently bogged down in litigation.