The 1031 exchange is a method of pushing forward the taxes due on the capital gains of a property.

I know how to calculate profitability using the Enemy method, and I know I’ll have to research legislation, but identifying a high cash flow area is overwhelming.

@Wil Orozco I haven't heard of any book on that specific method, but I'm a huge fan of the strategy!

Should I prioritize paying down current mortgages as fast as possible with any additional income vs. leveraging investment properties to buy an additional property vs. selling our old home to trade up (e.g., buying a vacation rental in a high-demand area)?

I believe the numbers say the most effective method is to pay off the highest interest first (same theory as a credit card).

I know I want to invest into small multifamily properties using the house hack method in a couple of years.

An inexpensive parking pad option (asphalt and concrete are the standard methods) is to form a 20' x 20' square on each lot with landscaping timbers, metal edging or even railroad ties, and then filling that box in with crushed granite or some other type of rock.Replacing roads is one of the highest capital items in any park project, so make sure that your deal will support this cost.

How good are your trade/repair skills? 

We went through a lot of duds as we built up our vendor list but now we're about 50 strong that spans multiple trades. 

We are wanting to use the BRRRR method.