Should I for instance be looking at a specific # of cash transactions from the past year put back on MLS as a benchmark to overly active market (say 125+), or can someone suggest other barometers to consider? 

NOT ASKING FOR LEGAL ADVICE.... possibly be illegal in some states or areas? 

I'm having a hard time finding any that are knowledgeable outside of their normal transactions.

After doing this for 20 years, I have found that the 1031 rule is a potent tool for real estate investment professionals for several reasons.First, deferring taxes means you can keep growing and diversifying your portfolio a lot more quickly than if you had to pay standard tax rates on every transaction.

@Thomas Smith if someone is providing money to execute on a transaction but doesn't want anything to do with the property we would call that a loan. 

A good tenant is someone who:Has stable employment in a market segment that is very likely to be stable or improve over timeHas a credit history with which you can evaluate the likelihood that they will performPays all the rent on scheduleTakes care of the propertyDoes not cause problems with neighborsDoes not engage in illegal activities while on the propertyStays for many yearsGood tenants are the exception, not the norm.

@Frank Rodriguez if you know a title company/attorney you can certainly choose any that you want but your lender will 100% have one (and maybe a list of them) to use for the transaction.  

Many people want someone they know and trust to handle the transaction for the largest asset they will ever purchase.

If you enter all your transactions into a spreadsheet or something similar, you will at least know where you are financially/accounting wise "all the time." 

You will take Real Property in law school and that will be your first foray into the legalities of property and transactions, but after that, you won't learn anything that will help you directly.