My goal (just like everyone else here) is to achieve financial independence through real estate investing. 

Hi BP friends, great thread to start so thank you for that.I am most thankful for my health, the health of my daughter, family and friends and my full time career which even though takes more time from me than i would like still offers me the ability to have some security while making the transition from W2 to financial independence in REI.I am thankful for my 1 year journey in REI.

If the business cant cash flow independently, a personal guarantor may be required. 

I am a real estate agent and up until last week, I was working as an 'independent contractor' doing marketing and providing real estate assistance for a top real estate agent.

Went through an excruciating audit in 2016 due to an error on turbo tax.

So from a financial independence perspective, I think I'd be better off selling my home, and keeping my mortgage payment more comfortable. 

FHA will do audits as well to insure that you are occupying the property as well. 

How important having an itemized printed receipt from Home Depot is in the (unlikely) event you get audited, I can't really say.

yes, it is not like kind because you are purchasing sharesyour RoR and net nothing to do with the syndication IRRthe syndication IRR only has to do with the project, and are independent of where you got the money from and what interest you are paying for it, and the capital gains tax you paythere are very, very few syndicators that will allow you to 1031 from one of their syndications into another- I have heard of one, and I cannot remember exactly which one it was

There are a TON of factors that can go into play with landlord policies, so making connections to a good independent agent can really help.