And my MIL's hot water tank broke on Memorial Day weekend while she's away.

The previous owners gave the barn a septic tank and kitchen and gave it a new address; however, this was still 1 Lot and 1 Tax Parcel.  

VT just passed that oil tank law so I'm currently paying $2,000 per tank per property to replace my older ones. 

Have you ever seen the show Shark Tank?

While this OP may have run into one or a few syndicators who did well for him you will find that a very high percent of syndicators are ruthless and unscrupulous sharks who don't have the mental capacity to perform as promised.It comes down to this.

Are the fees to make this shelter happen comparable to the fees for a 1031 exchange, or is there some shark in there that will jump up and bite you when you do it?

A rule of thumb is those septic tanks last about 30 years.

BUT be very careful of sharks.

The money would be in a large, high end nursing home in VA and Student Housing in Washington, up to a 10 year hold, looking at about 5-6% quarterly return and maybe 1.5x return at sale BUT illiquid and commercial real estate is tanking so higher risk here.

Also be aware that some old farm houses have underground gas tanks that have deteriorated and contaminated the ground, this is a big concern that many people overlook.