Which is to say any attempts beyond the method of communication in the profile are likely to end up convincing the landlord you and your friend would be a pain in the butt as tenants. 

I simply recommended the seller finance structure based on the current market rates to make it easier to sell since he has better rates than can be gained financing traditionally.

We syndicated 75%, plus costs of the purchase price and financed the balance with a traditional loan.We shopped around for weeks to find the perfect loan with the best rates and terms.

For traditional loans that rely on personal income and DTI (Conv, govt), there is no requirement that the properties be profitable.

Without this foundation any money spent on gurus, courses, books mentorships that teach techniques and methods is WASTED, even if the methodology being taught is valid.  

Find Brandon's videos on YouTube for the "four square" method of analyzing homes and practice.

There are some services like Guest Ranger but we do not screen in the traditional sense.Make your house rules clear and make it clear they are enforced, then they tend to screen themselves. 

Because they aren't traditional tenants in the sense with a 1 year lease and to determine fit for the house, I like to start everyone on 2-4 month leases and see how they perform.

Creative financing: Explore seller financing or subject-to deals for your next property, which often require less upfront cash and bypass traditional lending limits.You’re on the right track thinking long-term—house hacking and leveraging your duplex are great moves.

I see you mentioned the BRRR method, here's a nice breakdown of it here on Bigger Pockets.