@Joe FairlessJoe thank you for the tip....( I'm kind of chuckling, because I was going to pass out cards) You've made a very valid and smart point. 

Have had pretty good luck calling local paint stores, plumbing supply shops, hardware stores, etc.  

I'll say the same thing with slightly different words:Building wealth means putting your $$ and effort towards APPRECIATING assets (smart RE purchases), not DEPRECIATING assets (cars, boats, etc.).I'm sure you got the point by now. 

the biggest barrier you will find is that turn key duplexes are such a smart buy for owner/occupants.  

Be smart and learn how to do it right from the start.

Ok, this is what we got...My mom bought a condo (140k) 6 months ago with the idea of renting it and have a passive income, long strory short the HOA didn't allow her to rent it, just for her (or family) to live in, so now she is thinking about selling it again (she doesn't live in the US).She got a very good offer (170k) but I think that the market in that area is still growing because of the urban developments there (shopping mall, convention center, etc).On the other hand the apt is empty and it's costing her around $400 in HOA fees.What would you do?

I've spent my career working in acquisitions and asset management for various REITs, brokerage firms, and small private equity shops and now want to do real estate for myself.  

Welcome William, wish you the best of luck feel free to reach out and contact me, we can always talk shop over coffee. 

I'll have to shop banks but it's worth a look around.

:-)   Just make sure you meet the smart ones.