We do not know if you are looking at Agency Multifamily financing or Small balance Alternative financing etc.

If you have changed an alternator before then you can probably handle changing a circulator pump. 

I've been researching multiple locales (Springfield IL, Milwaukee WI, Indianapolis GA are the other alternatives) and settled on Cleveland, OH, for my first rental property purchase.I have the capital to make 3-4 purchases for the next year.

This option appeals because it would lead to greater cashflow and more units would help mitigate vacancy expenses.However, an alternative would be to take the money and invest in another duplex that's approximately the same price - this would mean that we would have a smaller mortgage payment (or none at all) and much more cash flow than we do currently.

I want to make sure my recommendations are ethical and timely, so I figured I would get some alternate opinions.If you have any other thoughts, feel free to post them here.

If you have to punt on the 1031 exchange altogether,  there is an alternative strategy with the use of the bonus depreciation in the 2017 tax law.

Another alternative is to go to a carpet store and get some remenants (leftovers) from their old installations.

@Michael K Gallagher They have been talking about this for a few years now which has in turned caused an increase in popularity of alternative options. 

I am still very young in the industry so there may be alternatives that I am not aware of  that  others on BP can shed some light on.

Alternatively, have you researched if you could afford a property manager so you do have that real actual layer between you and the tenants?