The north part of Houston, specifically Spring, Tomball, The Woodlands, and Conroe are great.

I know getting my real estate license is one option, but I am looking for more than one option.I am based in CT, so if anything specific is coming to mind let me know, open to all Ideas.

Does anyone have recommendations for good, reasonably priced countertop installers/fabricators who do work in the north/northwest suburbs of Chicago, specifically around Prospect Heights?

. :) It sounds like you are looking for a specific investment opportunity? 

In this case, correct, 1031 exchange is not available. 1031 exchange is property for property, and an interest in a partnership normally is not (with a few rare exceptions, so you may want someone knowledgeable to give you a second opinion for your particular situation, which requires reading your inheritance documents.)Whether or not you have any mitigation strategies totally depends on your specific situation and requires a one-on-one. 

If your brother is looking to invest in real estate largely from a tax reduction standpoint they should pay a qualified real estate tax strategist to review their specific situation and what may or may not work for them. 

Those properties have very specific details, guidelines, and rules that are different than Indiana and I understand well how it works. 

If you have specific questions about property management, I'll be happy to help! 

This may change over time.Participating in the forums and using the search to find specific questions or topics would be helpful as you start your investor journey.

So it does appear to be possible to get an FHA 203k loan for a 5-unit & convert to a 4-unit.When possible, aim for the Limited (aka Streamline) 203k loan, as it's less complex, not required to get an FHA consultant, etc.Of course, this is based of the two following important assumptions:1)  zoning allows for this2)  and obviously I owner occupy for at least 12 months3)  the total purchase price + renovations are within the FHA loan limits specific to my areaWhat I'm confused about is the timeline or chronological order of the process?