There will be a point, unique to every investor, where you need to take action and jump in.

The problem is, and here's where I really screwed up, is that now I'm told by lenders that because we have a commercial tenant banks won't refinance the property.

I believe in putting in the work—1,000 hours of research, testing, and learning—before offering advice, and I’m excited to tap into the collective wisdom of this community to refine my approach.Here’s where my head is at: I’m considering strategies like short-term rentals (Airbnb) for higher cash flow, long-term rentals for steady income, or even creative options like house hacking or partnerships to stretch the funds further.

The "easy" answer - short term rentals where your brother participates materially in the operations - this would mean 500+ hours a year.It sounds simple from a tax planning perspective. 

Where to get the most recent and accurate data for things like:Unemployment dataPopulation growthJob diversity and top employers in the areaVacancy rates (eg huduser.org)Property taxes and jnsurance costsI saw bp pro and reventure and a bunch of other websites provide some of this data, but i wonder how accurate and recent it is.

You definitely need to ask where the other $400 comes from.

I have never done a transaction, as a buyer, seller, real estate broker or lender where there was no equity or negative equity as per the buyer in the deal.  

This is an additional step that would not be present for developing a lot where you are adding value.  

I’ve heard this can have benefits, but I’m not sure where to start.If anyone has advice on how to proceed, I’d love to hear it!

This is the list to not invest in without extreme careful attention to detail.Don't go where the masses are going.