Feel free to reach out!

There is no free ride.

And it is completely passive, with no other liabilities to worry about.

Feel free to reach out if you need any advice. 

To expand on what @Michael Plaks stated - yes you most likely can do a 1031, the next question is you should be asking if you should do a 1031.It isn't free to do a 1031 - you don't want to spend $2k in fees to have a temporary deferral of what would have been $4k of tax. 

Once again I own everything free and clear.

another maybe odd thing i worry about is it's a bit in the country, with 4 doors right next to each other i worry the tenants could fight, drama, drug deals, noise complaints, i have no idea but it just seems a bit strange. the layout just seems very conducive to drama, 4 door out front literally spaced ten ft apart with nothing else directly around and one big parking lot out front.another concern i have is, i understand there are laws limiting how many people can be in apt. these being 1 bed 1 bath, thats room for what 1 couple, and one child at most?

Please check out the book I co-authored called Lend to Live: Earn Hassle-Free Passive Income in Real Estate with Private Money Lending published by BiggerPockets.com/lendtolive.

I want to be free to do what I want in my 40s with my family and guide my children now, not in my 50 or 60s.

.), ask tons of questions, and figure out how to hang out with people who are doing what you want to do (add value, work for free, do anything to get that experience.What area of Chicago are you looking to invest in?