The thing I am looking for is something that can give me an idea how much a contractor grade sq ft of tile would be, etc.

You will need to purchase their ANSI grade 1 locks (not sold in stores) if you want that added protection. 

It's the graduated scale and that income is just combined with all your other income for one tax bill.The key words here are "30 years". 

If you suspect a challenge, maybe have a appliance repair bid and your move in checklist ready.....Finally, you may have higher end rentals than me, but I go with very plain white, mid grade, most durable appliances I can find....

If so, then paying a QI $1k - $2k to handle the exchange is probably worthwhile, instead of paying the IRS $20k or so.The type or grade of property does not matter, so long as it is real property that you intent to use in your trade or business or for investment.Keep in mind, to defer all taxes, the new property has to be greater in value than what you are selling, and you must spend all of the cash proceeds.Good luck!

We are going to shoot for buying 2 SFR's in 2016, and scaling up from there. 

The financial issue arises when one wants to scale.

Especially when scaling and building your business.

If you truly want to work on your business and scaling it for future demands and success, definitely take some time to entertain the idea.

Each reasonable set of applicants should be graded against the mean of who is part of this micro set, applicable to YOUR market.