Wholesaling real estate is another way to gain experience without much capital.

Pro: Being an active agent helps you keep learning, gaining experience, and also staying motivated.

But, since you only lived in it for a year, you will have to pay capital gains. 

Now that I am retired, I am eager to: 1) Gain hands-on experience in flipping homes in Florida, 2) Find properties with potential for value-add/forced appreciation, 3) Partner with experienced home flippers for collaborative projects.

here is the situation. i left a really good paying job to take care of my 81 year old parents because my dad is chronically ill and my mom is almost there. i wont go into too much detail, but my sis doesnt help them. ill leave it at that. we have a person who comes twice a week to help with cleaning and other household tasks. i carry the bulk of the weight cooking their meals, running errands, grocery shopping, picking up meds, and taking them to dr appointments. its a full time job. i get a small salary of $1000 a month from a care giver sub contractor for the VA. ive been paying my bills with what savings ive had, but only have a few months of funds left. i own a duplex. i have over 200k in equity. i live in texas and texas has weird laws about refi and heloc/heloans when the property is 4 units or less and owner occupied. i would rather not sell, but if thats my only option i will have to at some point.does anyone have any advice or possibly be able to point me to lenders who might be able to work with my situation?

Since you're not pursuing a real estate license, consider wholesaling to gain deal experience or help manage local properties to learn the day-to-day operations.

I'm just exploring, gaining knowledge and conducting research before I pull the trigger on anything.

I want to use her equity as a gift for the down payment to avoid capital gain taxes.

I am currently living in this flip to avoid capital gains and I'm looking for my next property to rent or sell.

I think if you really want to gain exposure, start with lending or title work.