I was imagining responsible car-free tenants, as I was one myself for a long time. 

Something will come up that you do not understand or do not have to knowledge to deal with.

If your time is worth $500 an hour I would spend the 5k on 10 hours of searching for a free mentor.

When you live in that duplex for 2 years and then sell you'll be able to take 50% of the profit tax free (the allocation for the side you lived in). 

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

If the answer is yes, then it's a no brainer to make minimum payments on your 2.8% interest rate mortgage, and use the funds that you would have paid extra to pay it down faster, to either invest in more real estate, the market, or anywhere else where you can get a ROI > 2.8%.If the answer is no, then feel free to aggressively pay it down as fast as possible, to become debt-free faster, and just have a large amount of money in savings or to splurge with.The bottom line is that your 2.8% mortgage is GOOD debt.

Feel free to reach out with any accounting questions.

Feel free to reach out at any time with any questions.

Hiring a local real estate attorney or working with a knowledgeable agent is recommended to ensure compliance and protect your investment.3.

For your part, it might seem like a free roll of the dice to go to court, but there are surprises and landmines along the way, litigation always takes far longer than anybody expects, and the time and emotional expense of fooling with litigation are energy drains on more productive endeavors.