.- Primary markets are India, China, South east Asian countries.

Our other rentals in completely different areas, we have a duplex in Penfield (east side suburb, our primary residence) and a duplex in the south wedge.

But after enduring my first construction loan gut renovation, along with a couple of other partial ones, this issue has been one of my primary mental obstacles. 

A house hack for a primary residence for about two years and then you could repeat this again. 

For your existing primary, you will need to have it leased with the security deposit and first month's rent collected.

Pay attention to whether the room is a primary suite (your own bathroom) or shared bathroom, how many roommates, etc. as those would factor in to how much someone would be willing to pay.

A little more about the situation: I bought a duplex last year as a first investment property / primary residence.

Start with your primary, rent out any spare bedrooms "house hack"Use that to practice upgrades, kitchen, bathroom, curb appeal... etcNow you have experience as a landlord and flipper, use that to buy a distressed propertyAdd 40% equity to the property through home makeover, refinance into a low cost mortgageNow you are cashflowing a healthy margin on a second property, use that to build equity over time, cashout later and buy your duplex/quad.If it's going to take you 10 years to save up a down payment for a small apartment building, yeah it makes more sense to start growing your portfolio with cheap SFR flips instead.Every market is different, every borrower is different, every property is different, it would be ill-advised to recommend anything without recognizing the individual's nuanced goals and objectives with their next acquisition.

The primary form of diligence we see on the forums is "what do you think of XYZ sponsor and deal" whereas the common form of diligence in the space by institutional investors, large investment groups, family offices, and sophisticated investors involves following the sponsor for years, underwriting the deals, validating rent comps, background checks on the general partners, and a host of other diligence that materially de-risks the investments.  

Living in one unit and renting out the other helps you scale quickly because you need a lower down payment for a primary residence.