The funds must never be in your hands, or the 1031 exchange may be void.Other Potential PitfallsYou are not allowed to use the proceeds from the relinquished property to pay for renovations.

I am excited to gain more knowledge, connect with other individuals within the industry, and take the next step in this journey! 

If they allow, the fee may go up slightly, but no big deal I suspect. 

We had a fire/landlord policy with Norfolk and Dedham insurance, however after my last tenant and last property manager allowed my property to get into a state of severe disrepair, including water damage from a dishwasher/septic backup, which was never remediated, my insurer dropped me from coverage as a "bad risk" (we had made a claim for the water damage by the tenant).

If you hire a manager you should have already understood their screening process, and then allow them to implement it.

Networking OpportunitiesOnce you obtain a real estate license, it will allow you to access professional industry events and meet other licensed individuals.

I am considering working in sales or potentially another position that allows me to get some exposure to real estate.

But, you get to pick the individual property. 

This allows you to negotiate well below the asking price (which is already cheap.) 

I'm debating markets (Chicago and STL) as well as individual neighborhoods / areas within those markets.