I could not find e1031xchange as a business entity in the State of New York (https://apps.dos.ny.gov/public...).

Get a damage restoration company involved.

In my market there is a premium placed on old homes that are restored.

A lot of investors based in markets like California and New York are choosing to purchase their investments OOS in the Midwest because of the affordability and numbers making more sense.

And yes, I've done fire restoration projects. 

For example, in the New York area, especially in some hyped-up fringe neighborhoods (like certain areas of the Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island), finding a "bargain" seems easy.

It's will not be a restoration project, it will be a redevelopment project. 

States like New Jersey and New York highly favor the tenant and evictions are very difficult and can take months.  

We repeatedly explained that it’s not done that way in New York State: here, you send in your articles of organization to a state office and they send back a letter with a state seal acknowledging they received the documents.

I am still living in Chicago but plan to move to New York in a year or two.