You have some good comments above but I would also suggest to try some local real estate meetup groups.

You are local and adding value add!

Also, if you consider the fact that his 30 year mortgage is $100-$200 less per month than what local folks pay for rent, then it's not as predatory as it may sound at first.

Thanks Sarah, I don’t see much house hacking going on in Essex or Dundalk in terms of listings on Zillow or FB so my concern would be finding professional adult roommates that want to house share in that area. i’ve been following a lot of the midterm rental groups in Facebook and the consensus is that contracts have decreased significantly and hospitals are using more local labor pools.

He's a local CPA that is great. 

Tyler local, so sparked my interest whenever I see anyone post about the area.Given that your duplex is fully paid off and generating a steady cash flow of $1400 per month, it's understandable that you're having second thoughts about selling it.

From experience, I’d recommend getting pre-approved, improving your debt-to-income ratio if needed, and researching local assistance programs.

Go to small local/regional banks NOT national ones.

You picked a great community to join.. have you checked out local comps to gauge the market vibe yet?

I'm in the process of comping duplexes vs condos, but was hoping for community input on any local factors I might be missing.