Not sure what rent they were willing to pay and what options are in your area but I would likely want to keep the STR going to and have them rent a nice LTR nearby to you.

Research financing options like portfolio loans or working with international-friendly banks.

This will open up your options a lot more. 

We take your info and we let Lenders battle for the deal offering their best options.

This issue, if caught early, is probably fixable with out insurance involvement because the deductible might be more than the repair cost.  

Most lawsuits against landlords involve wrongful eviction, security deposit disputes, and Fair Housing Violations.

Be sure to explore all around the forums as well as many of the FREE tools that Bigger Pockets provides.I am on the lending side of things and am always happy to hop on a call to discuss loan options that are out there, even if not offered by my resources.

I am on the lending side of things and always happy to discuss shop and various funding options out there, even if not within my resource pool.Cheers!

Anything that involves a load bearing wall will generally need an architect IME, but it can also be required (maybe indirectly) through the jurisdiction's building code/enforcement.Got it, thank you for lending your expertise!

Once you’ve identified STR friendly locations, figure out your financing with your brother to help narrow down your price range and market options.