that research process will give you aton of knowledge that in my opinion makes putting a much larger chunk of money to work more palatable 

Energy-efficient features, soundproofing, shared amenities, and local zoning compliance are crucial.

Less for smaller units and more for larger units with pets.  

These options would still keep your costs down while offering practical benefits that could attract a larger demographic of renters.Starting with one of these simpler conversions also gives you the flexibility to explore more ambitious plans down the road once you have a better understanding of the property's potential and your own budget constraints.Hope this helps clarify the options.

My property manager then sent another technician who said the gutters need to be cleaned and recommended installing leaf guards around the entire duplex, along with larger downspouts and overflow guards, for a total of $3,013.

One pitfall can be using Hard / Private Money to stretch into larger deals.

If you're looking for larger commercial multifamily (5+ units) then you may have better luck on the commercial sites, crexi and loopnet.

I like leveraging money when in appreciating markets because of the ability to see much larger returns on your money invested. 

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has launched new online tools to streamline clean energy credits.

You're taking on the bulk of the work and management responsibilities, which justifies a larger share.