I am a transplant from Ca who migrated north!

You'd make a lot of mistakes along the way (especially if you're trying to learn how to do a heart transplant), but you'd eventually get there.

This allowed them to live rent free saving up of rmore investments quickly.I highly recommend you also check out- the blogs, forums and listen to the podcasts.

He has built about 100+ homes over the past 30 years and a few years ago he was diagnosed with liver cancer.

Unfortunately there are unscrupulous tenants as well who exploit these laws and will squat (live rent free).  

Keep in mind that the way L/T court is structured in Queens, there have been unlucky/unprepared landlords that had tenants live rent-free for 6 to 12 months (sometimes more), go giving them some money to leave could end up saving you a lot of time, aggravation and attorney fees.   

My thoughts were to find a multifamily house and have a partner finance the FHA loan and continue to pay rent for my current lease until the contract is over since the point of living in an multifamily house with an FHA loan is to essentially live "rent free".Any other thoughts or suggestions on the best way to handle this situation?

Where as if you occupy one unit you may be able to live rent free or way closer to it.  

Buy a 2-4 family in a decent blue collar area, fix and rent out but keep one unit open for an owner occupied and market it to them, as they can live rent/mortgage free...if you can't sell at least you have income coming in and if your area allows you should be making cash flow or at worst break even to cover your carrying costs, this is my strategy now that I have 20 rental units and vie been working this now on 3 deals....just another idea to give you more exit strategies

The problem: My short term plan is to buy a duplex in my area, rent out one side, have a roomate or two on my side and live rent free for a few years, sell it (or refi) and do it again.