Measuring for blinds takes 15 seconds so to go and validate what was said is ok.

You should be able to go as low as 10-15% down payment with your experience.Ground up Financing: Most "ground up" financing options require a bit of experience - 3-5 exists (rehabbed & sold or rehabbed & refinanced in the last 3 years).

DIY A first-time DIYer can expect to spend several hours replacing a kitchen faucet.The time it takes depends on your experience and the faucet's complexity.You'll need tools like wrenches, a putty knife, and a small bucket.You'll also need materials like supply lines, silicone caulk, and plumbers tape.You may be tempted to be cheap and estimate only 30 minutes, but you should estimate an hour to be safe.What about the time to go to the property to figure out if a 2-hole or 3-hole faucet is needed, then drive to Home Depot to get it, drive back to install and then head either to the next job or back to the office?

I would look into every and all claims about someone as well as reach out to his former colleagues (who are here on BP) - as part of my point was sometimes its easier to go straight to the horses mouth and see how they respond.  

Private lending is the way to go 

And I'm not talking about an introductory deal.One way around this is to go find the startups in your area.

Give me a call today, I would be happy to go over the details / price out your scenarios.

I'm tempted to go with $7.99/month of "Quicken Business & Personal". 

I want to go the buy-and-hold route, and I am interested in finding a duplex that will provide a steady cash flow, a high appreciation value and does not need renovations.

Make sure to run your numbers conservatively and based on the current as is value if you plan to go this route.