What would you recommend?

Bigger Pockets is a great place for education and networking and is full of great content.I recommend that you check out the following resources:1.

If it’s doable financially I’d recommend the duplex.

My recommendation to serious real estate investors is buy an opportunity in any segment, do the math (it's all about the ROI; some investors fall for the 'commercial' is more prestigious chest thump to find that losing money isn't very prestigious at all), and plan on proactively running a business. 

At this point, I would recommend having a line of credit to cover these things so you don't have money sitting in the bank doing nothing when it could be put to work.I have 33 units, no debt except for mortgages, and excellent income.

If the guest feels slighted, there is no fact checking service provided by AirBnB to confirm their claims, so it is up to you to let future guests know the level of professionalism you provide.If you are able, I would recommend editing your response to the 1-star review.

If you're looking for cash flow (like the 1% rule) and amazing appreciation potential, I do recommend a market like Columbus Ohio. 

Can anyone recommend hard money lenders who specialize in working with first-time investors?

Recommend you take a look!

Word of mouth recommendations always goes a long way with me.