I have the opportunity to buy 2 adjoining properties, each with a 2bed/1ba home.

It took me about seven years to be able to quit my job as an engineer.This was mainly from buying inexpensive properties from motivated sellers for cash.Buying nice STR's with leverage is a much longer game especially this environment. 

A few suggestions:Get a Job, Borrow from Parents/relatives, Get a partner for the deal, or (trigger warning: not PC)  renounce US citizenship, cross the border illegally, and get all the government money you need.  

I do think the rental market is ok, but I have found that a lot of NJ investors just look out as far as the prices drop.There are a lot of cool towns with better rental opportunities likely a little closer to you, but it depends what you can spend and what your goal is.

If she sells the property before that date, she would not qualify for the full exclusion unless she meets certain exceptions such as unforeseen circumstances like job loss, health issues, or other qualifying reasons outlined in IRS Publication 523.Regarding prorating the exclusion, unfortunately, there's no provision in the tax code for prorating the exclusion based on partial years of ownership or residence.

Always part time on the side of jobs/ businesses. 

I own all of my investment properties here and work with a lot of out-of-state investors in both the east and west coast that love investing here for the turnkey and BRRRR opportunities that we have here.

Always remove the paper filter from the vacuum.It is a super stinky and nasty-smelling job and that is probably why your plumber(s) want so much money, but anything more than $1500 is far too much money.

I say this as no disrespect to the people in the trades - their jobs can be tough... only as a note to the risks of doing such work. 

I want to be there for them without worrying about 9-5 JOB.