Cash flow varies unit to unit and seasonally, but is consistently a viable business model. 

We've seen this, and it's going to remain a consistent theme.

If you know you will be a pushover or have no follow through and know you won’t be consistent about doing things like maintenance and finance stuff then you should just hire a property manager.

When reviewing income, a good landlord will consider how long the individual has had the job or how consistent the income has been historically.

Yes, the message I'm consistently getting from others, including lenders, is to start with a 4-unit.

Seems to me that selling to an organization like Habitat for Humanity might help you ensure you have a relatively consistent buyer, assuming the parcels you purchase are in desirable areas for them and meet their acquisition criteria.

Clear roles - you call the shots, your friends write the checks (and hopefully cash some too!)

The stories of the best deals come from those who were persistent and consistent in door-knocking and driving for dollars.

A consistent, own time tenant is a valuable thing and worth accommodating most of the time and a goof landlord or property management firm knows how to walk that line.

I can't imagine one of these fitting into a standard house, unless it was a ranch with a near direct shot to the bathroom.