The calculator estimates that operating expenses are equal to 50% of the monthly income.  50% is a rough guide. 

But it gives you a chance to get a fresh start....make your place nicer, replace appliances, new paint, get rid of carpet and replace with LVP, Etc....

And someone jumping into this as a complete newbie can expect that they have a decent chance of making some expensive newbie mistakes.

With @Michael Baum on this.Another angle of thought - who would have a better chance of success challenging Airbnb TOS:1) A "brand" with 5 units2) A brand with 500 units?

But balance is key—keeping some cash reserves for unexpected expenses is critical.Lastly, I’d recommend running detailed numbers to ensure the property cash flows well, even with conservative estimates.

You are taking a chance with every tenant and you hope they are not trashing your house and you don't have an eviction.If your condo did not appreciate it over the last 6 (unicorn!!) 

As I take in the advice from Charles, Joshua and now you, sharing your insights, looking at smaller deals might give me the chance to still syndicate while building a track record and achieving proven success.

I could put a down payment for a conventional (20-25%) 550k duplex, but I feel it could hurt my chances of buying as many duplexes in a 5 year period (for example) if I go conventional VS an FHA at 3.5%. 

This call felt like my chance to level-up but bringing on two employees at the same time felt overwhelming, beyond my capacity.

These methods include:Detailed Engineering Cost ApproachDetailed Engineering Cost Estimate ApproachSurvey or Letter ApproachResidual Estimation ApproachSampling or Modeling ApproachExperience or “Rule of Thumb” ApproachFor further details on the methodologies, refer here.WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST PROPERTIES FOR COST SEGREGATION STUDIES?