Do the math and understand your position.

@Clifford PaulHi Cliff,I dont understand this math.

The advantage of this approach are:As an owner occupant, you would be eligible for a high-ratio, insured mortgage (95% LTV for a SFH or duplex); you would have "roomer"s living in your own house, so it is easier to evict a poor tenant {from time-to-time one is bound to get by your screening}; since you live in the house, it is pretty easy to be the coxswain and keep things tidly and the crew in-line; if you were in New Brunswick you would also benefit from the owner-occupant exemption from the provincial portion of the  property tax (about a 40% saving).The obvious disadvantage is that you will be sharing your living space with your tenants  {find a home with an en-suite and you'll have a private bath}.You still need to do your homework.  

My question is about how the taxes for the home work.

I want to buy multiple properties if my first investment home works out, however, I want to build a meaningful relationship with the people I work with.

@Bill Brandt"Your actual income would be your cashflow plus the principle portion of your mortgage payment"Not sure where you learned your investment math but you can not count money that you do not receive as your income.

Purchase price: $940,000 EMCAP Lending funded a 12-month private loan (hard money) in Boston, MA. The

I know wasting SOME time is unavoidable, but I was thinking there may be certain “homework assignments” I could give them to do (like gathering together and emailing their last 2 months of pay stubs), or “magic” questions to ask them, or ask them to pull their own credit report and let me know if the numbers are over a certain amount.

(and Where is open door different than I as investor, licensed realtor, marketing for seller for cash as-is offer, and can resell my own listing....what math do they do different?"

Lots of homework to do.