My 2 cents: You're young, you could get a real estate or real estate adjacent 9-5 so you can get paid to to learn more about real estate while learning and building the side hustle outside of business hours.Seems like you live in a major US market so that's a plus, you could get a tenant services coordinator job in commercial real estate making $40-60k (not sure if that's more or less than what you are making now) It's an Entry level role, anyone with a degree and a polished resume and a passion for real estate should have a decent shot at landing a job like this.

A few days before the sale the frame farm house was burnt to the ground and all that was left was the standing brick chimney and a lage pile of ashes. 

If the agent is their own broker and a sole practitioner then you need someone else to decipher the agency relationships that may or may not exist.

Also, my guests always love my little goodie basket of snacks and a few bottles of water. 

Squatters are a real problem nationally and a study found that they target not only vacant properties but those advertised for rent or sale that offer 'immediate occupancy.' 

It’s a fully renovated, modern-styled, 2-story townhouse with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a basement in Baltimore County, where I live.

I've had a long eviction and a big turnover so just trying to help you avoid something similar.

It includes HVAC filter and a few 'free' things (like one free lock out or something like that).

The guarantee of getting paid and a high hourly rate would be what would entice them to use the hourly rate structure over a commission structure.  

Choosing between a single-family home and a duplex is a classic real estate investor dilemma.