(particle board vs wood) We have bought entertainment centers on Amazon which have been well made.

The combined transactional costs alone between the purchase and sale are going to be north of 10% of the transaction value.

Also in your strategy lay out the combination of cash flow and or appreciation.  

Also close to shopping and entertainment.

This looks like a combination of interest rates and just relatively high prices still (e.g. most duplexes I've seen start at around 600k).

Ideally I want a combination of the Burnham block duplex style but cleaner, and more usonian looking.

Owe 2 million with 5 million in value combined. 

Open Floor Plans: The design of these homes features open layouts that feel larger and more spacious than they actually are, making them ideal for entertaining and day-to-day living.8.

We bought it for $225k with a 3.125% mortgage and 1) are interested in keeping it as our first rental. 2) We are thinking about using some of the equity (maybe $50k or less as a HELOC to combine with existing cash for our next home down payment that we can convert to a HELOAN through our credit union).

I'm using a combination of MLS comps provided by realtor, redfin, and backflip analysis tool.