Not sure if all that makes sense but I really am dedicated to learning and getting as much knowledge as I can!

This is an acceptable appraisal approach.Sometimes using simple and common sense is ok way to go.Good luck and don't forget to invite all those who provide an answer to a BBQ ;-)

Where a home warranty MIGHT make sense is for someone who is not in a position to budget money from rent for issues or where they cannot allocate sufficient reserves in case of an emergency.

This type of strategy works really well for people who worked at a company for a long time and whose stock did incredibly well.These are concepts even financial advisors get tripped up on so feel free to clarify anything that doesn't make sense or if you want to give more specifics I can give examples and math.

Hope this makes sense.

In that case, cash makes sense.

Being able to pull the trigger once the numbers make sense is a skill and being indecisive will be a big hindrance on growing...I personally won't work with clients that are gun shy on pulling the trigger. 

I'd like to get a sense of how many people know about these changes and how they're thinking about the implications.

Without the numbers on your duplex we can't determine if it makes sense from an investment prospective.

Investing in affordable housing definitely makes sense if you can make the numbers work.