I am in the Destin area and have been keeping my eye on Hubzu and homesearch.  

He also turned me on to "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki and that book really opened my eyes. 

The cops wanting to turn a blind eye is selective enforcement of the law.You might need an attorney at this point to push the issue and get something done.

One of the advantages of living in your first duplex is that you are close to your tenant so you can keep an eye on your investment and learn how to become a property manager with one tenant before jumping into managing two families.Also, what are your cash flow goals?

@Steve Vaughan- I'm not so comfortable at this stage to have my money tied up and not be able to keep a close eye on it at the moment.  

So multiple checks within a month should be fine in the eyes of the reporting agencies.

Bellerose is a long drive from NJ, hopefully you have someone who can get eyes on the inside and get some pictures for you?

I think having another agent's eyes on it and helping you with the comps is a great idea.

we have our eye on a place and are told that the foundation needs repair. 

I'm great at working on a budget and have an eye on detail and what buyers want.