The ones that I am holding are relatively cheap but they are giving me really good cash flow (Combined value for these 2 properties is less than 200k but rent I derive from these 2 in total is around 2.5K).

Now, if you are trying support a valuation to some 3rd party then the BPO is going to be more credible to them than your own assessment, that you derived from publicly available sources. 

US News and other local publications will have that information and how they derive to that ranking class. 

4) My experience with banks has been difficult since my income has been mainly derived from income properties and freelance work, so I'm curious how easy are banks to work with to get approved for a new loan with a 1031 exchange?

Life is a magnificent journey and much of the joy you can derive from it involves performing meaningful work. 

Value isn't traditionally derived unless it is ready to build lots inside a developed city. 

Once you have a sense of how each option will perform in terms of cashflow and exit, then you can compare the costs associated with each option to derive an ROI.Good luck!

This is because the property is the lender's only security.When an IRA uses mortgage financing, there is a generally small amount of tax on the portion of the income that is derived from the non-IRA (borrowed) money. 

Here is a list of lenders specializing in this space:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/2810/50272-list-of-non-recourse-lenders-for-self-directged-ira-and-401kAnother consideration to have in mind: when you finance purchase of a property in your IRA, portion of the income derived from the financed portion of the property will be subject to Unrelated Business Income Tax.

Usually one holds a salary day job with the benefits.It’s tough to be truly self-employed because benefits are derived from your employer instead of a free market.I knew an attorney that worked part time at Home Depot to help pay for his kids’ college who said it was also usedul because their health plan was better than his firm’s plan