Initially I didn't have a personal connection to the area and didn't know much about the city.

This year’s most popular areas are known for being fast-growing cities with plenty of new development, with healthy job growth in Florida and Texas in particular.

Reach out to Vincent Demarco at I Fund Cities.

New Jersey is not a horrible state for investing it is more so certain towns and cities that give NJ a very bad name. 

When you converted the 3rd unit and put it on your tax return was it done through the city?

Yes, I still did my own due diligence but PPR saved me hours of additional research.Perhaps the biggest reason I ended up working with PPR is because of the BiggerPockets community validation.

Quote from @Jim Stanley: You should reserve insurance for large claims.Contact the city and report the issue to them.

AirBnB has been the biggest surprise. 

Biggest question in my mind will be the Ocean front..

By no means cheap but solid rent + demand, fun place to live, decent inventory (relatively speaking), and is still commutable to the city.