Hey Ryan,Sorry to hear that you had a negative experience.Designated dual agency is very common in NC and in most cases allows both buyer and seller to receive the highest level of service with no conflict of interest even though they are being represented by the same Firm.

This will make it harder to afford, harder to get lending, and ultimately limit the buyer pool which puts negative pressure on prices.  

I've also heard anecdotally on BiggerPockets that the concept of other States being super landlord friendly is sometimes overblown (in other words, sometimes even in the most landlord friendly states, things can get sticky)In other words, I'm not sure how much the potentially friendlier landlord laws would convince me to purchase far away in other state, when that also comes with its own challenges (the inability to self manage, property management fees, etc) This debate on whether I should locally invest vs out of state has left me wasting time so now I feel I just have to make a decision and go for it. 1.

You won't see cash flow in your market, but the cost of the payments should be cheaper than $3,200/Mo and the negative cash flow will be money that's going back into your investment. 

It’s also possible to have a negative net worth, which means your liabilities are greater than your assets.Examples of assets that may be included in your net worth include:Business interests Cash and savings Investments Personal propertyReal estateRetirement savingsVehicles Examples of liabilities that may be included in your net worth include:Credit card debtMedical billsMortgagesPersonal loans Student loan debtVehicle paymentsNet worth is very easy to calculate: You add up all your assets and subtract your liabilities.The net worth formula is:Net worth = Total assets – total liabilitiesHow to Select a Net Worth TrackerYou can choose from several net worth trackers to help you monitor your financial position.

Is this a net positive or negative for Memphis?

The inputs for the image in this screenshot are as follows:500k purchase price duplex.Rent each side for 2k/month (this is after you move out)5% down paymentClosing costs: 7k6.4% interest rateInsurance: $250/monthUtilities (paid by owner): $400/monthVacancy budgeting: 5% of monthly rentMaintenance budgeting: 8% of monthly rentCapEx budgeting: 7% of monthly rentEven though you are negative $312/month after budgeting for future expenses, your net worth ROI is massively positive.

In the second year, assuming the same vacancy and repair costs, the cash flow would still be negative by $46.

Putting less down may subsequently put you in a break-even scenario or possibly even a negative cash flow.

Open concept living/dining.