I would much rather deal with someone like him who knows what they are doing and speaks the truth rather than someone who spews out a bunch of feel good crap just to get your money then disappears..

Helps with your debt to income, better opportunities at cash flow, and typically requires less down to purchase.In regards to challenges, I usually build in an extra 10-15% to deal with things that I can't see behind the walls, including dry rot, electrical or plumbing issues, etc.

If you are still willing to stay in the same unit as your brother you can get a 2-4 unit building, rent out the other units and still rent a bedroom within your unit to your brother for extra income.

It tends to hide marks better.Walls: Neutral tones like SW Repose Gray, Behr Swiss Coffee, or Moore Classic Gray are renter-friendly and modern.Trim and Doors: Use a crisp white like SW Extra White or Moore Chantilly Lace.Accent Walls: For a touch of style, consider an accent wall in soft blue-gray. 

I'd hate for a temporary dip in the quality of the tenant pool to be giving my landlord "spidey sense" false alarms on account of taking an extra month or two to fill a unit.

From what I can tell, the extra equity on the house could be utilized to provide better ROI.  

My grandfather used this truth to subdivide & sell most of his farmland in rural MA and sustain his family comfortably over the years.  

First, estimate what the renovation would cost, how long it would take, and how much extra you could potentially sell the property for once it’s fixed up.

-A water heater issue resulted in repeated mismanagement—confusing unit assignments—leading to extra costs to fix the same issue 3 times and on each occasion "more fixes" needed to the water heaters that I plumber said was needed.

Assuming this comes back favorable(did they tell the truth and not have any major issues) then we are good. 6.