To qualify for a 1031 Exchange, Relinquished and Replacement Properties must be qualified as “like-kind,” and the transaction must be structured properly. “Like-kind” properties must be real property held for productive use in the investor's trade or business or for investment.
Appraisals are an integral part of the 1031 exchange process as they provide an unbiased estimate of the property's value.
A Qualified Intermediary, or QI, is an independent third party to the transaction whose function is to prepare the documents necessary to create the exchange, as well as to act as the independent escrow agent for the exchange funds.
Your settlement agent is required to submit the 1099-S upon the completion of every sale and Form 8824 is your way of notifying the IRS that you did an exchange on that sale and may have deferred your tax liability.