(In hindsight should have paid minimum on that and paid of cc debt).Third, I finally sold a piece of vacant property we had and received about 50k after fees and mortgage paid.

Again this is a small piece of the puzzle.

I've done some research on the property, and by putting a few puzzle pieces together, I've been able to gauge that the property owners have inherited the property, and by the looks of their judicial involvement - have largely abandoned the property completely.

I see so many people getting stuck with analyses paralyses that never do anything.You are lucky to be in THE hottest market on the planet AND one of the most affordable.  

Over time the pieces will start to fit together. 

Logistics - A 1031 starts with the sale of a piece of real estate and you must use the services of a qualified intermediary.

I'm not too familiar with the Ann Arbor market, but it was ranked #9 of the top 20 hottest real estate markets in May of this year by Realtor.com.  

The only piece of advice that I would give as you look to invest is make sure each rental property is stand-alone.  

We are considering a purchase of a piece of property that has a 1966 small, 26 x 50, mobile home on it.  

Now, you have to pick up the pieces, make timely repairs and get it ready for new tenant.Let's hope the thieves don't repeat this break in while new tenant is in place, as the burglars now have a working knowledge of the trespassed area.So, you will have to fortify this entry point to allay the fear of new tenant in the event they are aware of this problem.Congrats on your $37K investment.