My hope is I can gain their trust as a property manager and eventually be the one they turn to to sell later on or refer for business in the future.

You have to see huge appreciation to see any gain. 

Looks better for them and gaining a sale and higher property value gives a larger commission. 

My approach isn’t aiming for an overnight transformation but rather a gradual strategy where I reinvest equity gains and cash flow into scalable opportunities.

So, by the end of 5 years, your net gain will be around $33k ($93k cash pulled out minus the negative cash flow).Looking ahead:Future Cash Flow: After 5 years, assuming a 3% annual rent increase, your rent will rise to $6,955.

When investing in high cash-flow markets, I always recommend working with an investor friendly agent so you're able to gain the right insight on the different areas and the risks involved.

After five years you'll have earned $90,000 in rent income and gained $34,000 in appreciation.Buy four houses with $50,000 down on each.

So your capital gain when you sell this property will be calculate against your tax basis and not against your mortgage as many investors expect.

You’ve gained valuable experience from your first duplex and are now approaching real estate with a strategic mindset

By adopting the house-hacking method—living in one unit while renting out the others—we plan for the tenants to cover the mortgage and gain valuable property management experience.