Since I'm in my very early stages of building my real estate portfolio, constantly I'm thinking about the way of optimal expansion. Of course this means that I have to have in place an aggressive but at the same time realistic business plan. This business plan from what I have read might require at some time a 1031 exchange. 

The general idea I get it. In so many books they are referring to 1031 exchange as a very simple thing. But then while I'm thinking the details of selling 3-4 SFH, and with all the time restraints how is possible to acquire a bigger property that suits your business model at that time period?

A house priced right will sell in 1-3 months. Time that you need to find the right property up to 12 months...how do you manage to make it work???

@Pavlos Kasselouris , the government has to give but not generously.  Since a 1031 exchange officially begins with the sale of a piece of investment property and you only have 45 days from that day to created your list of potential purchases and a total of 180 days to complete the process it can be daunting.   However, that being said, there are several things you can do to mitigate your difficulty and risk.

1. First of all get as extending a closing as possible on your sale.  Then as soon as it is under contract start your search for a replacement.  It does not matter in what order or the time frames of your contracts as long as you close your sale before you close your purchase.  If you go under contract for your sale with a 90 day close then you actually have almost 9 months to complete your purchase.

2.  Use contingencies in your contracts for both sale and purchase if possible.  Make the sale contingent on finding a suitable replacement.  Make the purchase contingent on closing the sale.

3. Find a pocket property that isn't necessarily for sale right now but the owner would be willing to wait on until you sell your other property and then sell to you.

4. Make one of your potential properties a syndicated real estate product like a DST or TIC product that you know will be available.

5.  If the gain is great enough consider a reverse exchange - a 1031 exchange where you are able to control your new property first through the use of an exchange accommodating title holder set up by your qualified intermediary.  Reverses are expensive but many times worth it.