I like @Adam Schneider, @Chris Martin, and @BJ Henderson 's remarks.The bottom line is that your question is too broad to answer, as there are way too many unstated variables.But if I were to make some assumptions about your question, my own couple of pennies is that if you're smart, driven and persistent (and probably a few other choice adjectives), a beginning investor has a chance of making it work in the Raleigh market.

That's a really broad question

Very interesting thread with an array of opinion on weighing cash flow and appreciation when making investment decisions.

This is due to the way REIT dividends are taxed as ordinary income as opposed to capital gains, this makes them a prime consideration for a Roth account and will almost guaranteed significantly outperform the broad S&P500 over an investors lifecycle.  

Financial IQ is made up of knowledge from four broad areas of expertise: Accounting Investing Understanding markets The Law A corporation earns, spends everything it can, and it taxed on anything that is left.

Thats a pretty broad question because, if you have a HML or hard money loan then that assumes this property is not probably not an owner occupied property since HML's dont typically lend to owner occupants, only investors.So the assumption for the above is you bought it as an investment at first with a HML and now you want to take advantage of FHA financing so you move into one of the units to use FHA right?

That's a pretty broad question and it depends in part on your desire to be involved with your investments or to be passive. 

I will say there are many duplexes to house hack but recommend sticking to the following areas:Butler-TarkingtonMeridian-KesslerBroad RippleSoBro (South Broad Ripple)•They will be older and expect to pay north of 150k at least.

I ask because I know everyone has a different perspective, and I'm a big believer of a broad perspective.

We broadly have a housing shortage in the US, this is total units that can be lived in.