I'm specifically interested in "main street" properties with a downstairs retail space, upstairs apartment(s).If you know of anyone with this sort of experience, I'd REALLY appreciate the connection.

We only buy SFRs to rent them if we can build it into a 3-4 unit property, so the main house is just 1 out of 4 units to comp out.

As far as my personal investments, I have mainly focused on multifamily - but I do have commercial retail and office investments.

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies who spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

Showing a level of expertise to do something hard or exciting certainly piques the interest of a guy with money and no RE experience.We lived in Houston and self managed properties in Oregon and Maine that we snuck away to in the summer.

The main reason is other buyers who are better able to pin down operating costs will either outbid you because they have their costs right, or you'll outbid them because you have your costs wrong. 

Main goal is to listen... then follow-up regularly.

Mainly because I'm particular about certain details in the transaction. 

Main questions should ask about the seller's:- Reasons/Motivations for wanting to sell- Desired timeline to close- Plan's after selling (relocation, reinvesting proceeds, 1031 exchange, etc)- Back-up plan in case they are unable to sell within the desired timeline- Reasons for not already selling to/with a investor or RealtorAdditional questions will depend on the type of seller lead i.e. pre-foreclosure, probate, fsbo, absentee owner, etc.Here is an example of a youtube search you can use to begin finding call recordings.There are 1,000s and you'll find that the best/most effective ones don't even sound like sales calls.

The full payment would be around $5,400 : The ADU could rent for $2k per month and you would be left with $3,400 per month on the main home.