Landlord's decisions to go with a broker or to handle the leasing in-house is often a function of how much time you have to allocate towards leasing it yourself.

The largest price declines during the housing collapse were in PG County. 

There are lots and lots of information and posts about 1031 exchanges here on the forums.I'd suggest the search function and the 1031 sub-forum and you'll find endless reading/education.

As mentioned above, try to list on as many websites as possible to reach the largest audience you can. 

Any design/functional suggestions would be much appreciated!

You could check your county auditor's website for a property search function. 

What metro areas can i get the largest building (# of units wise) or is every metro area currently overheated?

In the appraisal,the appraiser made note of this non-functioning chimney being a safety hazard since some of the bricks around it are crumbling. 

There are several approaches to doing lease options, and consequently, many variables... so it would be prudent to do so to 'maximize' the exposure, pre- screen the largest number of applicants, increase the likelihood of 'closure' (selling the property) with the tenant buyer(s) and structuring the deal, to optimize your ROI.

You do not replace anything or spend money on cosmetic items, strictly functional beyond paint.Very little you do by way of cosmetics will effect the appraisal much if only cosmetic.