Quote from @Dylan Gomez: I inherited two homes, both were paid off one was livable, and I now live in it, the other was a rental in TERRIBLE condition.

Live in one side and renovate that side, then after the lease for the other unit is up move into that one and renovate it.

Quote from @Isadore Nelson: Cash-for-keys, unless you're offering heavy sums does not happen in one afternoon. 

This normally would not be an issue but the cost of the water/sewer is extremely high in this area and specifically because the meter is a one inch, the costs are much higher than a normal 3/4 inch on a non-duplex. 

After watching the trends and digging into the numbers, one thing is crystal clear: New-home sales 2025are shaping up to be the silver lining in what’s otherwise been a challenging market.

A FHA 203k Loan is where the purchase price and rehab costs are rolled into a single loan.The downside of using FHA or a FHA 203k is you will need to live there, for a minimum of one year (to satisfy FHA Requirements); AND because you closed personally, you will not have Asset Protection, in the form of closing in the name of a LLC.

If you plan to buy in your hometown, buy a 2-4 unit, and live in one of the units.

I mean one family on one home i bought basically stripped down to the studs .. everything was gone by the time I got them out. 

That could be your PM company if you plan to hire one. 

Most ADU's are one bedroom units and rent accordingly.