It is either rented or it's not and when it's not it can quickly become a financial alligator.I would be surprised if a duplex in Lansing was more expensive than a single family house in Maine.As far as managing from a distance without a property manager, I would not advise it personally.

There is so much to learn about this business but I am glad I found this site. 

We have already agreed well prior to that what amount I want, and what my criteria for a renter is, so it is just less work for me.

We do not know what you are doing, as far as type of reno. 10 years ago, I flew into Cleveland to LEARN hands on.

Certainly using cash or that of a lender/transactional funder to close your original transaction, then close your B-C is legal as far as that portion is concerned.

Is this the normal in South Carolina, where the legal information of the property is so wrong that they can't go off the property card? 

As you mention CA is a whole different animal.As far as dealing with owners, very rare has it been for me to buy owner occupied property.  

They don't have any real value as far as the purchase price goes.If I am wrong about the assumption, sorry about that.

@Cartus AikensAlso as far as research on the history of the property; I work with these documents everyday as a landman.

The neighborhoods that company owner Engelo Rumora describes as “rough” in the forum, they don’t sell houses from those neighborhoods as far as I can observe.