I am living with my parents rent free and have enough saved up to buy a duplex.

Nothing wrong with that.Ask me and I'm going to tell you to invest in a real estate capital fund laddered with 30, 180, and 720 day access to capital.Ask my parents and they'll tell you CDs are best and spending 1/30th of your saved principal each year until you die is the way to go.If no one taught you how money works at some point in your life, you need to watch someone who did learn. 

Are you able to find a co-signer (parent, family?)? 

The house is too close to my parents as well.

However, your parents may be able to co-sign for you if they are willing to do that?

The simplest way to fix it is to have someone else co-sign, possibly a parent, if that's something you can do.

I took advantage of a 5 hr car ride to my wife's parents over the holidays and she's on board now too!

The July tenants have one dog (they are MTSU students and have parents co-signed on the lease). 

For at least 20 of those years my parents have been property managers.

This property is a fourplex and the only rental my parent's have owned since 2005.