As long as it's a good dealAnd how do you determine if it's a good deal?

Search a radius and determine what the low/med/high properties are making by bedroom count.3) make note of what the top 5 properties have in common.

You've got to identify the resources you need to achieve the goal before you can determine the platform offering those resources.  

Although your initiative is commendable, I don't recommend submitting offers without first determining how you can fund the deal.Lastly, I do not recommend keeping the owner on as a tenant.

Plus, some of the cost that you mentioned are not specifically for the deal and shouldn't be factored into the calculations to determine if THIS deal was a good/bad one (i.e the mastermind course, setting up your LLC, etc).

How do you determine which features or upgrades will give the best return in your market?

Once you've determined your objectives, look for markets preferably close to yours with active job growth, population growth and an economy without too much fluctuation.

They have a learn as you go mentality as far as training goes so I feel you need to be a bit more self-motivated starting out as opposed to if you worked for a more well-known brokerage with a more formal training program. 

My problem is being able to determine what I will be able to rent each side of the duplex for.  

Kudos to you for trying to work through the current issue, but the S8 "entitlement mentality" is unlikely to get easier to deal with.