The last one told me I'd likely pay a small fortune for this policy. 

Quote from @Rolayne Taylor: We started with one buy and hold in 2019.

With one duplex you should be focused on selling 99.9% of the time and .1% on the duplex.

I have one tenant who is a god send compared to most, he accomplishes nearly ever repair I need, even did an HVAC unit. 

For investors looking to maximize returns while managing risk, here’s why this type of deal stands out compared to Treasuries.Treasuries: Safety with Limited UpsideTreasuries are an attractive option for those seeking safety, especially short-term bonds with maturities of one year or less.

I'm out West at the moment, but will probably be returning to Tokyo before too much longer.At the risk of being contrarian, after picking up a couple of investment properties in Japan (one Tokyo, one outskirts), I shifted to a strategy of only investing in the US. 

Has anyone saved money and closed with one of these new upstarts?

Another option is house hacking—buying a small multi-unit, living in one, and renting the rest to cut costs.

Ask your employer if you can have your pay split up into three deposits, one to investments savings, one to your checking account for personal use on a daily basis, and one to an emergency account you can tap into so you don't have to tap into your investment savings.

I had no exposure to this group but recently heard one of their principals on this podcast.