For (2), as properties age the rents you command decrease. 

Quote from @Paul Whitehurst: Many will tell you to borrow money from Property A to purchase Property B, but that's known as over-leveraging and not recommended for a newer investor.

Any recommendations on how many rental properties per LLC?

Depends on which property you pull equity from.

@Amanda Lindsay Which property management software did you end up going with and how is your experience?

I have had a long term interest in purchasing an investment property and I'm looking to be smarter about this.

There are down payment programs for duplexes, i have not searched or tried to do a 3-4 unit property. 

New construction properties can qualify for significant insurance discounts, but otherwise, I generally expect insurance in this area to run a little over 1% of the property’s value if it’s in decent condition.Feel free to DM me if you’d like a good insurance contact to shop around for a better rate.

Excellent framework for growing our portfolios

. $5400 comes with too much risk and wear and tear on the property.