Anyone ever prefer NOT to do a 1031 exchange?

[Jack B.]

Looks like it's about 1K per transaction, but the 45 day limit of getting something under contract seems really unrealistic, almost pushing people to buy the first crappy deal. It takes time to find deals and since you make your money when you buy, I almost feel like the 1031 can put pressure on you to take lesser deals. 

Also, I like having the option to not buy right away at what could be a peak.

[Russell Brazil]

So the best way to actually do a 1031, is to first locate the property you want to buy and put a contract on it contingent on selling your other property. That will help you avoid jumping into a bad deal.

But even beside that....I chose to go the route this year of not doing a 1031. I sold a property with a large gain and Im choosing to pay the taxes on it now, instead of creating a lower cost basis on my next property. I was ready to sell that property, and just not quite ready to buy the next, and I wasnt going to force myself to hold onto a property I didnt want just because I would owe some taxes.