So PLEASE don’t make another huge financial decision and then tell that same person after you do it.

We haven't lived in the townhouse in the last 2/5 years so we would get hit with full capital gains.

Buyers don't look for financing and its foreign so they don't jump on a forsale listing on zillow.I've had the best (only) luck with zillow rental adds,   starting with the pitch;  rent to own, live in a great home while you pay off owning it. 

Another option is to split the cost based on the number of occupants in each unit but this also means you'll need to adjust the charges as tenants move in/out, so it requires more work and I wouldn't recommend it.

We run into this especially at out parcels in grocery anchored centers, and our users generally can't make a ground lease work for the business case so the next best thing does tend to be the BTS or we often do Reverse BTS deals where the majority of the building design and management etc is done by the tenant. 

@Corey Curtin has been a stellar agent for my clients.I heard things that involve the city like zoning/permits can take a while in Birmingham compared to other AL markets so I'd be cautious of that. 

Expenses do not take a break so until you have no expenses taking breaks should be quick and infrequent. 

Tough to answer due to so many feelings about risk tolerances and what other investments could be making you as a ROI.I feel leverage of real estate is the real strength of this asset.  

I was the agent, so I recommend myself for all your southwestern IL investments.

Also seems like a lot of MF sells occupied with tenants in place so you just have to comfortable with that and contracting up from and seeing inside after contracting.    1st step is to find a great lender and get pre-approved for a loan so you know what your budget is.