My wife and I do have a 6 month emergency fund of cash.

-After budgeting expenses/extras/emergency fund/401k/HSA/etc I will have $45-55K/year from my W-2 job to devote to RE.

They cannot qualify for a mortgage until October because they have a past bankruptcy (from medical expenses) still on their record. 

I agree that the short term strategy here seems like a more lucrative option, assuming I can tap into the student/medical/tourist niches.

You need some kind of emergency fund.

Put the minimum down and keep the rest of your cash for emergencies.

You may find yourself scrambling and using a credit card in an emergency etc for a few years.But as risks and big leaps go, living in a duplex you rent out is a pretty solid plan if the numbers work.

I am currently working in the medical field as a Physician Assistant but want to begin a side business in real estate investing.

These were physical therapy interns for medical facilities or people moving into the area permanently. 

my garage door broke at the house I am renting, I had real troubles opening and closing it but I just let it be, and I parked on the street most of the time. the office has never been good with repairing things in a timely manner, for example took 4 months of calling and asking for my heat to be fixed before it was. also the meters for electricity weren't divided correctly, and apparently there is a 3rd meter I have been paying for and that is under investigation. anyways, I had someone come out to fix our garage door so I could park in it since there was a snow emergency declared, and I didn't want my car to be towed again since there is no were else to park. can I ask the landlord to pay for it even thought I didn't put in a request before I had the repair done?