The issue you'll have is that if you want to defer all tax you must purchase at least as much as your net sale. 

Airbnb issued me a 1099-K tax form, indicating I meet the threshold for gross rental proceeds paid by guests.

Plenty of other circumstances where this might be needed....bankruptcy sales, tax valuation suits, probate disputes, sales in business breakups, Treasury department sales.Hope that makes sense.   

I like Texas, but the only thing that holds me back is the higher property taxes compared to North Carolina.1- Money: ok to spend ~300K (prefer to put only 20-30% down) and invest in a couple of properties than buying one in cash2- Prefer cash flow (of course, appreciation would also be great)3-Prefer SFH over duplex just because with SFH (in a good neighborhood), I probably would have less headache and dramaHere are my questions:1- Which city do you invest in and why?

CPA advised us to start at LLC and buy our primary residence as an investment property and rent it to ourselves for tax benefits.

But we are missing expertise the maximise our current and future tax position.

•Best For: Investors looking to potentially secure a lower mortgage rate while accessing equity in a lump sum.Key Considerations•Interest Deductibility: Interest is generally tax-deductible when used for buying, building, or substantially improving a rental property, for all three options.

Some of the benefits of investing in real estate are given below:Investing in a tangible asset that has historically appreciated over timeSpread risk by diversifying your portfolioIt can be a source of passive income, with minimal effort through short and long-term rentalsReal estate investment properties have typically been resilient against inflationDepending on investment type, tax benefits can be availedThanks to these (and more) benefits, you’d think investing in real estate was a no-brainer, and in most instances, you’d be right!

If we pay the tax (approx $900k) we then have $2.65 mil.

@Mark Bascetta There are a number of competent tax professionals commenting on the forums here.