Most military are in somewhat decent communities so I cannot see to many reasons not to.

If this is true, the good news is that the property is worth more than the loan balance. 

I’ve done some research and have found that some banks will allow the seller finance portion from the seller to go towards the down payment of the loan, is that true?

If you are planning on living there (ie in 1 unit) then you are house-hacking and this is a different calculation consideration then renting out both units and making it a true investment.

But I am looking for a local CPA.I see no compelling reason for that. 10 years ago, most of the local clients of my firm liked to come to our Houston office.

The law does NOT apply to landlords:With less then 5 rental unitsThat live in one unit of a duplex and rent out the other unitThat rent out rooms in the home they occupySo, landlords can no longer state in their rental ads, "Section 8 not accepted".The reverse is also true, "Section 8 only", cannot be used.We've always recommended screening S8 tenants the same way as cash-paying tenants.Landlords waiving application fees and/or security deposits only for S8 prospects may also be violating Fair Housing.

That's simply not true.

None of that is true. 

The reason I mention Buildium is because their Growth plan can be more affordable than the second tier of Appfolio that you need to pay for to get access to the integrations.

the insurance companies are not charities; they deserve to make reasonable profit for providing the insurance.