The holding costs on a GUC project are likely going to run 9-12 months or more depending on the municipality.

The properties you are selling and buying in a 1031 must be properties you intent to hold for investment use. 

Hands down. 

I have hesitation with out-of-state investing, and I would like  be hands on with my rentals as well as not use a property manager.

even back in 2002 when i started funding out of state buy and hold folks.. not exactly sure on eviction but I know for sure you could not turn off the utls and they run with the land  so many tenants simply do not pay their water bill and such in that city as they know it can be turned off. 

Escrow is a neutral party that holds funds so opening escrow as soon as the contract is signed is normal and sometimes done before a property is under contract.

I have a good salary but don't have a lot of cash on hand yet. 

If you're just going to hold a couple of properties, the cost benefit analysis may not pan out, and you will definitely get sued personally if your LLC gets sued.

@Will Boller, in a quick click around on Interval International's website (https://www.intervalworld.com/web/my/home) a major exchange for timeshare properties, it seems like it is 50/50 from my small sample looking at properties in the northeast USA, with a handful allowing Sunday weekly check-ins too.Granted, this exchange is not an Airbnb, but it is all weekly stays in condos run, presumably, by large professional operators that have studied this business to maximize revenue.  

No.. the internet will show your competitors that DO have a website and you have then done a LOT of work ... to hand over that precious lead to your competitors..I know because I am that competitor in my market.I tell people to get a website yet they are too stubborn to listen to me.