@Paul Bogard going to assume you are buying this proeprty to live in while you "house hack".First, you should understand +95% of real estate agents ONLY know how to sell owner-occupied properties and are almost useless for investors:(Find an agent that has rental properties themself or can PROVE they've got successful repeat investor clients.Secondly, you can greatly improve your cashflow by renting out your other bedrooms.

You can get far bette financing for own occupied properties.  

They only get incentivized once it's occupied 

Finance your first duplex or triplex through FHA Loan, Conventional Loan, Owner-Occupied Financing, and Portland-specific programs.

There is no differential factor number, however, it will change if you are buying tenant occupied, if they are are going to be vacant at closing, if they are going to stay the full lease or you have to pay cash for keys.

The best part is you can do it with very little money down using owner occupied loans. 

Since the houses are occupied and the first is reaching its contract limit of a year, its time to renew, increase the rent and I don't even know how to.

After it's rehabbed, you could then rent both units and use the cash flow to offset another primary residence or potentially refi and use those funds to scale your portfolio.I wish this policy change was being talked about more because it unlocks a creative new strategy for investors in MA, since you do not need to owner occupy to do it! 

She has a duplex, one unit was owner occupied until her stroke; other had been rented until the same timeframe.

Many houses and duplexes that have been fully redone as well as some that are still owner occupied that will get redone when purchased.