While it's true that I can 1031 exchange and avoid the tax, I'm not sure if it is actually the right time to buy now as everything is still so expensive including multi family properties.

You're supposed to include Property Management as another expense, even if it's you who are getting that (~10%) "pay".2.

Is there a specific reason you chose not to include MF in your analysis.. ?

I asked several questions, including that one, in my initial email to the assumptions department for the loan servicer, and the only response I received was a copy of the assumption application package. 

Please see updated numbers below in chart that includes insurance. 

Separate property includes property you owned before you were married, property you inherited, income and gains from separate property and damage awards from a lawsuit.

He also says 98% of all investors, including professional investors, are better off investing it in a broad-based passive index fund (the extreme diversification approach).https://www.youtube.com/watch?

I have a contractor that does all scoped including (plumbing, mechanical, flooring, etc).

Otherwise going out of state is what many of us who live in more expensive markets have done, myself included. 

For 20 years, I have been doing taxes for investors, including hundreds of lenders and borrowers, and I have seen these scenarios too many times.You need to protect yourself in four areas, not necessarily in order of importance:1.