Which I know from being in other business that that does not look good to clients if I have to cancel showing or if I don’t show for showing and pay someone else to show my house I think you can pull it off as long as you set expectations properly with clients upfront and especially if you’re working with people you already know, like other fire fighters for example will be fine with your unpredictable schedule.

Nothing 3 or 4 unit will pass the FHA self-sufficiency test, unless you are going to get the property for at least 30% off of fair market value. 

I'd feel comfortable investing ~$50k to start off.

You'll be waiting a looooong time for a tenant to meet that criteria.Same goes for conviction & eviction histories:Class A - never (actually they fall off after 7-10 years)Class B - not in last 5 yearsClass C - not in last 3 years

I don't know the answers on taxes, but New Jersey is the densest state in America.

We all wait with bated breath for the extensive thank you note they will write on their way out.

Quote from @Jonathan Weinberger: Hey BP community, Every so often I enjoy writing about my investing experience here.

Also, managing the property as a rental could offer tax benefits.When purchasing, keep in mind condo association fees and maintenance costs.

Will the mortgage holder sign off if the proceeds go to an LLC that isn't their borrower?

Scale Strategically (if this applies to your goals) Reinvest profits, use the BRRRR method (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat), and leverage 1031 exchanges to grow your portfolio tax-efficiently.I'm a mortgage lender at Aslan Mortgage Lending and would love to find time to talk and discuss your journey.