I've know him personally for years, had the opportunity to consult with him on both sides of the business and have to say he's the real deal. 

We can also walk and lose EM (and the money we've put into inspections and PE consultation.)

Sounds like you have a plan to consult with some brokers and expose it to the open market. 

Hey all,I have been listening to Bigger Pockets content for maybe 4 years and finally have removed myself from some side hustles, have the capital, and grew the...brains to start real estate investing.QUICK BIO:I am based in New Jersey, I work as a marketing/efficiency consultant, and have 2 avenues of real estate investing:Short-Term Rentals: I have 3 short-term rentals using my parents apts in NJ ( 1 of them just launched in Nov) for the past 2yrs near NYC (1 of them just launched in mid-Nov).

For tourism you have several, including one (IFFRU) that can fund up to 100% of the renovation costs (no purchase).You can do your own research but you have companies / consultants who this job for you and charge a success rate (pay only if funding gets approved).

Ultimately, consulting with a real estate focused accountant is the move here, but this should be a helpful primer.

She needs someone who can think outside the box and won't be looking for opportunity to sell her on something for their own financial gain and are willing to provide a free preliminary consultation.

However, as Zane mentioned in his response, another option is to consult with a lawyer who specializes in appealing property taxes.

Like you said, every time you visit family, you can check in on the properties and now the trip is a tax write off (consult your CPA). 

Be sure to consult with your CPA to determine if you can utilize these deductions based on your specific tax situation.