Do you own the entire building and have other occupants complained of a problem? 

They have since moved on to a new manager that is in close communication with me to get the repairs done and SDIRA is even offering to pay me the missing rent for December that the evicted tenant never paid.

It’s a smart move, especially since it ties in with your goal of saving for your first investment.For skills, you probably already have a good foundation with your sales experience—things like communication, organization, and dealing with clients are all super valuable.

The managers are non-communicative.

I’m considering either buying a duplex or building one, but I’m unsure which option makes more financial sense.

I agree with @Michael Smythe that you need a property manager that communicates well. 

Hello Trying to get back on the real estate investing space and build new connections that can help me to speed up the process.

We manage a bunch of ADU’s and higher density new builds for investors in Raleigh and Durham.

Joshua Tree is a bit of a tough market as there are a lot of STRs in the area.Be prepared that your first year might be a little thin as you are new and need to build up some reviews to get rolling.The interior is a bit of a toss up.

I know the founder and know that they've set out to build a platform that takes the best features of sites like Furnished Finder and Airbnb and leaves out the clunkiness and annoying policies and practices.