I think that duplex's are a great option if you're looking for that extra cash flow.

It may sound nice to pay a 6% management fee but the extra fees can add up to be more than the other company that charges 10% with no additional fees.

As an MTR I can get $2,200 but I need to pay an average of $200 for utilities and an extra $100 for vacancy reserves (I self manage so no increase there).

The truth is that real estate doesn't pay you well when you need the money.

After fees and repayment of loans/repairs, you may walk away with an extra $10K max.

They're behind on the mortgage by a year and owe all kinds of extra fees that will make them upside down. 

This is giving me an increased sense of caution and I appreciate the heads up on the impact of these other factors on what I'm seeing in these listings.It seems so daunting to get at the truth and the details, especially for a first go round.

It adds an extra element of complexity to the process (now you have to negotiate buyer-side commission as part of the deal). 

But IF the interest rates were close, I'd certainly consider it, just to deploy all that extra cash on more buys.  

That’s an extra $2,700 a year we will make from that unit over the next year!