I've looked at a lot of condos and houses in the past few weeks and from being in the field I can tell you that the transaction volume is picking up again - a lot of places are going into contract and prices are holding up well.My two favorite investment opportunities right now are single family homes in the top areas that your budget can afford and condos in buildings that were launched 4-6 years ago, are now in the market and have a lot of selling pressure because people who bought pre-construction want to sell and take profits. 

If you want to stay in the active real estate game but not wanting to buy right away you could 1031 into specific DSTs that have a 721UpReit OPTIONAL component.

Thanks, Christie, for giving specific, actionable items.

Consider working with contractors or renovation specialists to obtain accurate cost estimates and assess the feasibility of your renovation plans within your budget constraints.Risk Mitigation: Keep in mind that renovations come with risks, including cost overruns, project delays, and unforeseen complications.

Buy a home or condo with as many rooms as your budget allows.

Are there any specific neighborhoods or areas that you recommend focusing on for good deals?

feel free to post some specific deals here for more detailed feedback. 

Specifically, there's job growth (Intel, Honda, Amazon, Nationwide, etc) and the population is growing (unlike Cleveland or Cincy).

This type of strategy works really well for people who worked at a company for a long time and whose stock did incredibly well.These are concepts even financial advisors get tripped up on so feel free to clarify anything that doesn't make sense or if you want to give more specifics I can give examples and math.

.), target communities, budget, and estimated cash flow when defining your investment criteria.