Can I sell a property in one state and then do the 1031 transfer to a bigger property in another state withing the 45 day window, or does the transfer have to stay within the same state?

Being an out of state investor once you move to Ohio may make self managing your property in NV difficult.

As other have stated, remove the owner form occupying the basement and remove the stove so its not viewed by a  lender as a fully functional apartment. 

Hi Sammy,Glad to see you taking steps in your real estate investing career, it helps to get reps in and learn.As for what you should do, your title states that you have "little equity", does that mean there is little equity in the Florida property or you have little available for another equity investment.I'd caution a refi with little equity, as stability in the early stages of your investment career is crucial to long-term success, try not to over extend yourself and potentially end up behind.Having access to investors and partners is the name of the game for scaling and limited funds, if you have access to investor capital, working with a wholesaler to acquire a flip may be a good option just be mindful of the risks of as-is properties and having investor capital at risk. 

Ask specific questions, this is your property and you have a right to know what is going on.If he still does not respond, then I think you have to at least call an attorney and make sure that you are proceeding legally (for your state).I would bet @Nathan Gesner would have some ideas on this.....Good luck!

Owners mistakenly ASSUME all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, so price is the only differentiator.So, the first question they usually ask a PMC is about fees - instead of asking about services and HOW those services are executed.EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean?

The New York Times has an interesting article out about Millennials impact on the economy, but most interesting for us here ... 

From what I understand, equity on a property is the amount of money a property is worth minus the amount of money owed on the mortgage on the property.At least one article has said that the principal remaining on the mortgage is the only component of the mortgage that is accounted for when determining the amount of money owed on the property’s mortgage when calculating the equity one has on a property.I am not sold on just factoring a mortgage’s principal into the amount owed on a mortgage because if interest is also owed on the mortgage for the property, the interest should be accounted for in determining the amount of money owed on a mortgage, correct?

The IRS as stated that an investor may not use a 1031 exchange to purchase property from a related party when the objective is primarily to avoid tax. 

You might find there was a local/state/federal grant that’s been used up.