I'd also really appreciate any thoughts on choosing a big national bank vs. a smaller organization, as well as advice on how to filter through banking options to find a good fit. 

Here's a very simple break down that you can do more research on if you choose....Short-term rental insurance...This coverage is "STR homeowners" policy that would cover any damage to the property from a storm, fire, guest, and even liability if a guest gets hurt.

I’m trying to understand the terms of these construction loans to build a duplex and choose the better option ASAP. 

@Nick BradshawCongratulations for choosing to start with house hacking as your entrance point into the world of real estate investing!

Question on choosing a tenant.  

A lot of people choose to buy just over the border in Indiana (Hammond, Dyer, Munster, Gary, East Chicago).

Ohio has plenty of markets to choose from! 

We always operated within compliance in every other way, always let sellers choose, always disclosed to buyers, so literally the only change is now we can't let people just parooz a property we must have documentation that there was no other agreement because who knows what they could sue for 6 months later after the fact on what they think they "shoulda" had happen. 

So we had to take the risk or choose a normal insurance during the period and switch over after our loan was resold. 

.- Closeout and overstock stores: Places like Floor & Decor or local overstock outlets can have great deals on flooring and other materials.When choosing between Home Depot and Lowe's, keep in mind that both offer price matching, with Home Depot often providing an additional 10% off.