@Ali Amir ,I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is not much of a choice.

They are not always the best choice unless you will move them way before the lease expires.

I agree they can be great choices the key is accounting for the tax value and personal enjoyment you get from owning them. 

I don't mind paying tax if that's the smartest choice, but since this is our first 1031, I figured I lean on the experience of others before learning everything the hard way.Dan

@Bill Brandt transfer on death might not be the best choice for the children.

It's really not just a 1031 exchange or syndication choice.

There are a ton of choices for buyers today and much of what is marketed as Turnkey can be described as high-risk crap.  

I'm not saying this to be mean but to get you to think about your choices and actions going forward and, hopefully, to motivate you a bit. 

Also @Michael Japuncic, How did you decide on your markets of choice?

Out of state REI can out perform most investment choices but there is risk (I think all REI has some risk even if in CA has historically worked great past performance is not necessarily and indication of future performance).Good luck