Basically, back in 2008-2013, investors had a lot more leverage when it came to hiring contractors than they do now, and any investor who tried to do this would likely find that they were alienating potential contractors and this strategy would backfire.Long story short, in a hot market, this won't work well. 

Though there are some creative solutions to this and other issues - Fellow BP member  @Dave Foster is the man to talk to about the 1031 side of things, and he has a lot of tools at his disposal to help with all of the above. 

For perspective, the units are 2 BRs in a 1960's side-by-side duplex getting $1700/mo, so they're not cheap units from a rent perspective. 

As a side note, my regular day is spent teaching English at a community college just outside Portland, OR. 

I need to get a new tenant to take his side though asap.

Realize the rents on containers might be less than rents on a traditional storage facility because of the perception of the public (it looks like crap to see a bunch of containers side by side, versus an actual storage facility). 

Reinforcing what others have said, you will have a substantially more fun time in Houston if you live in/near the West side of the 610 loop.

Can someone just confirm that I'm thinking correctly on this matter that just came up please...I'm buying a duplex here in central Arkansas and there is a tenant already in place in one of the sides that has lived there since 2012. 

Put new siding and a new front porch on.

Base you offer on what makes sense not of how you imagine the other side will react.