Have you ever put $xK into an online trading platform only then to allow it to sit fallow? 

 Well  done on all that learning  you invested in and  now the action your about to take.This should be just like parenting ; its not so much whats said but what you do that reflects your belief.Working with an agent you align with who actually  invests will get you working with the person who lives and believes in what you want to do  for your self and your familyIt should be a nice alignment that should help deliver the experience and property your afterBest of luck Mr Woodrow.

Everything is trading wayyy high in what I call, "the investor havens".However, there is good news for the out-of-town investor, which is find those "unpopular" suburbs that people don't talk about, but are still growing like crazy.

Folks are brutally honest sometimes and it can help get you some perspective on what's holding your unit back.Lastly, @ 1700/mo, you could trade a month of vacancy for roughly $140/mo less rent.

Clearly define your goals, specifically identify the type of property you want, run the numbers and take action!

If I knew what I knew now, I probably would have skipped out on college and jumped right to some kind of trade school as plumbing or electrical.

Your 1031 Intermediary should have enough tax knowledge to help you get a plan of action together.

Transaction costs and taxes are too high to trade RE as inventory. 

I am not sure what the pricing is like now- I think it comes down to how much action you can/are willing to take on what you learn.

I may just be a normal guy but what I hear is the most effective way to scale is daily, consistent action.