Found T&H realty services to be pretty interesting as they provide both buyer brokerage service (to help me find deals) as well as do property management i.e. they are not full turnkey provider necessarily, but reduces some of the hassle for me I guess as an out of state investor. 

@Sung Yu You can 1031 exchange your fourplex into a single-family home, provided it’s initially used as an investment property (rented for 1–2 years) to meet IRS requirements.

I work with a lot of MTR investors and what I am seeing frequently with multifamily acquisitions, particularly with new investors, is that they often test the property just like you're mentioning, as a way to dip their toes in the water and see what works in their area and for their personal style.

An unencumbered outlook is therefore necessary to provide some comfort in the gnarly world of distressed property.

where can we find places-websites to analyze areas that will provide positive cash flow?

Quote from @Danielle Levy: Lesson learned: provide the full story up front and you'll get better advice.If you feel there's a case, put together all the evidence.

Propane is seemingly less expensive in most areas and provides good heat.

Denton County offers opportunities in suburban and college town markets, while Grayson County provides affordable entry points with cash-flow potential.

You may want to make an introduction between your CPA to those 2 colleagues.The CPA can go over their services and pricing to your colleagues.I partner with many people on real estate deals - It never gets to a discussion on whether they do their own tax return or hire a professional.If a partner mentions he will provide capital - does he provide the capital on a timely manner.If a partner mentions he will find deals - does he find many deals and provide an analysisIf a partner mentions he will manage a property - does he manage the property well(find tenants, collect rent, communicate with contractors, etc)

The seller was willing to take a secondary position on other property assets and provide a 3yr 4% interest on his loan.