My hope is to successfully complete a 1031 exchange this year (property is located in MD) and starting building a steady portfolio of rental properties over the next 10 years, but first start using initial equity proceeds from the 1031 exchange.  

I've used it for quick initial screening - saves time vs manually pulling comps on every lead.

He signed immediately.From initial seller contact to locking in the buyer: roughly five days.The backend wasn’t simple.

I had the same initial thought, but he presented it so clearly and professionally that I wondered if I might have overlooked something.

Your best bet is being 100% transparent - tell agents you're an investor who may assign the contract, or better yet, find investor-friendly agents who already work with wholesalers and understand the business model.

The catch is you need ~$22K/yr in cash reserves to feed the beast, and you're betting that Santa Ana appreciation continues at its 2015–2019 pace.The part I find most useful: what would need to change for this deal to actually cash flow?

Out of 150 people, I'll bet there were 3 or 4 that are legit and know their craft well. 

Trying to get a bit creative on the mobile home side of things, especially with initial capital restraints. 

I was under the impression we were moving toward closing, but communication stopped after I sent an email asking for clarification.I was also initially quoted a higher price over the phone, but after they came to view the property the offer was much lower.

I bet a bunch of people would have a hard time proving their hours.