Subsequently I ended up buying property in 8 states, and a couple weeks ago bought 5 properties in 5 days in 3 states.

(Yes it still happens, but it is a lease violation, and we have a solid leg to stand on should we need to pursue eviction or collections later.)

did you end up finding one?

Since moving into another fixer-upper isn’t ideal right now, consider leveraging your $40K for a low-money-down investment, like house hacking a small multifamily or using creative financing (seller financing, subject-to, or partnerships) to avoid tying up all your capital.

The 45 days identification time sometimes presents a challenge and if you dont give yourself a little wiggle room you might end up buying something you dont necessarily want/like. 

Would love to learn the process, but don't know how much value I can provide as my time is eaten up by a newborn. 

You would need to do a detailed write up of both you and your brothers situation to get any useful info from here.  

The projects finished up and we are super happy with the results.

Many of my landlords saw income increases after hiring me because I brought them up to market rates.Time & Stress Savings for Investors: A PM will handle the work so your time is free to focus on family, hobbies, growing your portfolio, etc.

Homes currently up for sale in the area are about $250,000 for a 3beds/2bath and roughly 1300 SQFT.