Other than those 50 mortgages I had no other debt, no car loans despite having multiple cars, no credit car debt, that wasn't paid off every month and no student debt.

When multiple cornerstone employers start tightening at the same time, it’s usually less about any single company and more about the system adjusting.And this morning added more confirmation.

Should I do an 1031 exchange to get a multiple property like duplex?

Treat deals the same way you’d approach diagnostics - assume friction, stress-test assumptions, and see if the model survives conservative scenarios.That mindset tends to outperform optimism over time.Also, don’t underestimate the power of visibility here. 

Boom multiple income streams. 

Since you're using a VA loan, you can't waive the appraisal protection, which can make your offer feel a bit weaker to a seller in a multiple-offer situation next to a similar conventional offer.

@Roland Cordar, You can also consider that "one" purchase of a portfolio of multiple properties in the 1031 exchange. 

We will do multiple cheaper studies in this case, or bulk them all together into one.

Your best source for identifying such properties is by interviewing multiple property managers and asking a question similar to, "what parties would you buy if your goal was to attract a Tenant segment that stays many years, and pays the rent on schedule?”

What activities qualify for the material participation tests for making your short term (<7 day on avg stay) active instead of passive income/loss?