I have saved up some money but my goal is to save up at least 20k in a year before I start looking for options on house hacking in a duplex.

Was fortunate, due to savings throughout military deployments to appropriately save and fund two properties back to back.

Prepare financially by saving for down payments, improving your credit score, and setting aside emergency reserves.

I asked specifically about transfer in PA from personal ownership to LLC...so maybe it not considered a "sale".Thanks for the input on the personal loan vs LLC, this is what I was unsure of as my name would be tagged to the property via the conventional loan document. 

To maximize the sq/ft (and save cashola) and give it a more spacey feel, I’m doing open shelving instead of upper cabinets and the countertops will extend all the way to the near wall, fully covering the front load washer and dryer units, which also have their home in the kitchen.

they're not magic.are you going to in-person / informal meetups? 

Did you give her written permission to store personal items outside in a common area?

As far as whether to approach them with or without an agent - approaching them directly without an agent can save the seller probably 2.5-3% of fees, which give you some room to negotiate on the price, but you need to be confident that you are capable of evaluating the property value, estimating on the amount of work that is needed, knowing how to negotiate/ structure the deal, and navigating the closing process.

You save money, you get experience, and then you buy your own in a year.

Private money and personal funds.