Just recently we lost power on several outlets/lights in a section of the house. It tripped when we tried to plug the vacuum cleaner into one of the outlets. Ever since then the power is not coming back.

I have checked the circuit breaker and test for voltage with a DMM (with one side touching the breaker screws and the other touching a fat neutral wire in the panel)

I have also checked the GFCI outlet in the area without power with the DMM. The GFCI outlet does not serve as the load to the rest of the area. The interesting thing is that when I use DMM to check for voltage between the ground wire with either neutral(white) or hot(black) wires, I will get a reading of 120V, while it reads 0V between the hot and neutral. The reading from neutral to ground should've been zero, am I correct?

What would be the best step to take from here? Much help is appreciated.

Thanks

The neutral wire is open someplace between the panel and the outlets in the wiring. You may be best to start by opening the last working outlet on the circuit looking for a loose or broken neutral wire.

Good advice tk, The Neutral sounds like it opened, and you still have something plugged in, or light switch turned on,on bad circuit. Un plug and place all switches off. Should not
Have voltage on neutral now. To find that last good receptacle, if there is one, Turn off all breakers but bad one. Now look for live receptacle near defective recpticles. Check that recpticles connections.
Check all Neutral tight at Panel. Bad Neutrals do more damage than bad Hots.
If in conduit, see what circuits go in conduit with bad circuit.Bath? Bedroom? Look at where those connections connect or split.