I'm now realizing that in the state of South Carolina, the tax rate jumps 2% for rental properties to help fund public schools, a $600/mo cost that I didn't account for when using the calculators in the earlier stages.

Being a part of the local REIAs in both towns can help you understand more of what is going on.  

I am seeking a partner with significant financial resources to help bring my vision to life.I am open to any advice or ideas you might have.Thank you, I agree with Jay, you will not find a lender to lend on this type of project but you are going to need to bring in an equity partner.

Finally, I used the Thumbtack app, and I made more progress in six days than I did in the past 75 days on painting, flooring, lighting install, HVAC repairs.I currently use apartments.com for my automatic rent collection, so that system is helpful. 

The area tends to be more owner occupant friendly rather than renting.

Depending on your finances you don't necessarily need to start with a duplex, but I wouldn't go any more than 4 unit if you're going residential.

With this in mind, if you intend to leverage short-term debt (hard money), it's even more vital that your underwriting is thorough and that you have the correct systems in place to tackle potential issues.

I think about this often, its really just running the numbers - if you borrow 100k at an 8% interest rate, will the investment get you more than an 8% return?

Co-living I like a bit more because you have less money needed for furnishing a property and CO laws allow it in the major cities unlike STRs.

Then you can read a more in-depth book like The Book On Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner or The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss.2.