Some use them as rentals.the biggest reason for doing things this way is a traditional bank won’t loan on  property that won’t appraise at their desired price.

I’m making a few assumptions: 1) at least some buyers and sellers will accept much less agent handholding than commonly assumed, 2) the primary value that agents add is a) pricing guidance and b) advising clients on offers and counter-offers, and 3) there’s no truly compelling reason why North America has the highest average commissions in the rich world.

If your primary has a net $1M appreciation you’ll only pay $100k cap gains tax - that’s a lower alternative than what you propose.

They were snapped up quickly by primary home buyers, I would guess. 

Currently I have a regular primary homeowner insurance policy on the house as it was our primary home for the past year.

I'm confused, are you wanting to buy an investment property in another state that you will rent out, or are you wanting a property that will be your primary residence?

A little more about the situation: I bought a duplex last year as a first investment property / primary residence.

It's also worth mentioning that I already have a good relationship with a wholesaler in town who knows other good contacts, and I am able to use some of these contacts as good resources for general knowledge and learning how it all works.I recently had to close my business of 9 years, and so instead of getting a W2 job or start some other "normal" business, I'd much rather prefer to have house flipping be my primary source of income. 

I feel so fortunate to have found BiggerPockets, as it’s been a goldmine of information and resources.Currently, I’m leaning towards the BRRRR strategy as my primary niche.

However, my future plans with REI involve transitioning my primary income from nursing to REI.