-Depending on your gain above, you could get a partial 121 exclusion and a 1031 on the townhouse.

Yes, I have done that several times, both as a buyer and as a seller.

Everything can be done with a calculator and a piece of paper if need be.

If you’re strategic about locations, management, and financing, STRs can still offer decent returns in the right market.I totally agree that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in real estate right now, but if you’re strategic—especially with tax savings and a long-term focus—real estate can still be a viable option alongside other investments.I agree with everything you said but it’s also important to consider the Time component.

The place I have is over 30 years old and a mansion ("mansion" in Japan means an apartment, not "mansion" like a huge house). 

CIREA is great but we tent to get just as many people and a ton of great energy. rootsrealty.co/events 

These syndication can provide an 8%+ cash-on-cash return - providing investors monthly cash flow - and a 15-20% IRR over the length of the project.

I have several opportunities to snag up a self storage complex and a 18 unit apartment complex on creative financing .

We feel hesitant to send her another pay stub and a copy of our driver’s licenses.

The investors that I work with find this much less risky and a much faster way to get to ROI.