If you "use" those funds, even if you have to pay for them,                       with multiple uses, you only have to pay once for them...which means the cost/use is                       reduced with each use.C - Understand that money isn't a noun, it's a verb, and when it becomes a noun for                   you...you lose, but the most important of all is....D - Learn the meaning behind this sequence of numbers................................                                                1073741824

Would this reduce the seller's tax liability?

Your out of pocket expense can be reduced significantly if you choose that path.Would welcome the opportunity to provide assistance for your family.

And it would be even better if you could sell the 4 to the same buyer, to reduce cost and uncertainty.But, in effect, your Replacement Property for each of the 4 Relinquished Properties would be a  1/4 interest in the new property.Hope this helps.Michael Lantrip

I am thinking to the future, trying to compound my money with time.I'm looking for any advice locals can add to my strategy, or any points I am missing.Some odd points:The reason I would like to keep around the universities is because whether or not in the future the market busts (if you believe the market is bubbling or plateauing) or the Navy expands (adding ships increases the jobs for a time then reduces after need is met), people will always go to college, meaning my first property I plan to keep for some time. 

Under a full guardianship that means we are untimately responsible for everything, income, expenses, housing and medical decisions, taxes, debts, mortgages, wills and estate planning, suing or being sued, investments, real property, unique asset liquidations like oil/gas leases, coins, fine art, notes, cars, foreign real estate, boats, wine, financial exploitation investigations including forensic accounting, criminal and civil trial testimony and recovery of funds when we are lucky, budgeting for liquidation of assets in order to fund medical and care expenses, (I could go on for hours); basically everything you can think of in your life... imagine someone else having to do that for you because you're incapacitated.In my work I'd estimate I've been involved in the sale of 300-400 properties, maybe 100 probate cases and many hundreds of guardianship and DPOA cases.  

Between the two of us we have an engineering and a medical background, so we love to analyze the numbers!

This means that equity sitting in a income property is reducing your cash flow not increasing it.When you can stick cash in a mutual fund and consistently earn 7-10 return why pay down a 5% mortgage.

I wouldn't live thereI don't see this as being a way to financial freedom unless you can accomplish two things:1) Reduce your lifestyle (pay off your personal home, get out of debt, reduce expenses to the basics)2) Own your properties free and clear.By leveraging yourself into your next rental, you're reducing your cash flow.  

Centralizing the monitoring for wells can reduce the stress of keeping a reliable water supply.