You will not get a lot of responses on here for several reasons - too many questions, not a big enough pool of people to answer the questions, and most agents have no clue about what it takes to work with investors. 

As long as you are approaching people in a respectful way that you feel good about you can't help how people will respond sometimes.

This is the least likely thing for people to publish on BP, as finding them is key to the business and promoting them on here will inundate them with calls. 

It helps you have more credibility than people who might just be tire kickers.

I have done some research but curious about the experience people here have had. 1.

I live in New York City and I am selling an investment property in California, a single family house, and I am planning on using 1031 to buy investment property in New York City.

Should I sell this property?

Passive Investment - Buying and holding performing notes for interest income and or investing in debt fund/partials ownership Active Investment - Buying non performing notes to either modify to reperformimg or foreclose for real estate ownership; “working” the notes in your portfolio; or “creating” high yielding investments through various meansNote BUSINESS - Running a note fund; syndicating notes, buying and selling notes, creating partials, brokering notes, etc. 

Drive around, ask people that live there how they feel about the area, and, if you can, live there for a year.

(Goal: either we can sell in 2 years and get the free capital gains or we can keep the great primary residence financing and rent it anytime.)