Partnerships can be great, especially when you have complimentary skills/knowledge/ or funds that may be the other people's missing piece to be able to put together the puzzle (or deal!).

But the numbers puzzle me.

Just to add a small piece to the puzzle, many real estate agents or other people who want your money will respond to your question; guess which area they are going to say is hot? 

So that would be the first piece of the puzzle I would solve.Regarding your question: rent estimator will be a single unit, and so if you have a duplex, your numbers are accurate.As for why it is cash flow negative, there are any number of reasons.

Hello BP! I’m looking for ideas on how best to fund the purchase of a 4 unit bldg. it has 3900 sq ft two 2BR/2 BA and two 2 BR/ 1 BA.  All in newly renovated condition, great neighborhood- two are furnished as STRs an...

That puzzles me why someone would do that.  

Best,A Puzzled Young Entrepreneur

I'm meeting with my commercial lender tomorrow, putting the cash aside and speaking with a few acquaintances who are already in this space to begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

We're still in the exploratory phase so still nailing down a strategy, but I think we're planning to start with SFHs that cost around 100K - and in an ideal world with the aim to buy one at a time while we get comfortable but hoping to scale up with a new place every 6 months or so until we have around 5.

Which was puzzling as it seemed he was focusing more on that instead of making rent as due !