Hi @Laura Yazdi - I’m certainly a tax strategist in this space (CA-based CPA).

You will find good advice here, also use the search button to find related posts 

Definitely speak with @Joseph Chiofalo they are NY based. 

Since you'll be using a property management company, either way, buying the property base on profitability vs location might be the better option.

Just a simple online way to keep track of the loan, that tracks & receives payments, and increases the loan amount each month based on the agreed interest rate etc.I'm going to keep searching online but I'm sure there's a wealth of knowledge here and I'm willing to bet some of you have used multiple platforms.Please let me know if you have advice.Thanks!!!

You can also find real estate investing groups through meetup.com, facebook, or a Google search.

We no issues closing in an LLC, as a matter of fact most of my lenders will prefer it (assuming it is not your primary residence)Assuming it is not your primary residence, the easiest way to do this deal would be through a DSCR Loans.A DSCR Loan will use current rents or market rents if the property is vacant and personal tax return from you would NOT be required.It also referred to as a No Ratio Loan because your personal Debt To Income is not important.What is important is that the property can pay for itself.If we keep the LTV Low the rate for this loan can be better than a conventional loan.If you ARE Living in the property and you want to keep it... it would mostly depend on how motivated you are and how willing you'd be to "postpone gratification"The best bet is still a DSCR Loan.. which means you moving and renting the property out.We can bring in Asset Based Financing that can help with cash down (if you need it) or to pay cash for another property for you to reside in.Once you're moved out we can do the DSCR Loan at a 70% - 80% LTV or we can calculate a comfortable cash flow number.For example, max cash out that will give you $500 cashflow after a full PITI payment.Let's discuss more!

They are based on sending tens of thousands of pieces of mail to get deals. 

Conduct market research to determine competitive rental prices for each unit based on other split-unit rentals in the area.

Appreciation (based on their calculations) is mixed:Unit 1 (LTR) - 36% increase (owned for 29 months).