If you are able to build an in-house maintenance team, having a useful shop and stockroom can save you/your clients a great deal in "road time" and other expenses.

I just got the notification from the city that there is a new apartment complex that will come up right in front of my house.

We're considering the following options:1) Purchasing a single family/duplex and renting it out, continuing to live in and house hack our current house and building equity slowly.2) Purchasing a duplex, rent out one side and live in the other, rent out current house.

We then did some renovations in the unit we were living in.

Hi All, We recently purchased a duplex we're planning on house hacking-- we're going to live in one unit and rent out the other. 

The house is a 3/2 and has an ADU with a kitchen, and bathroom.

I'm not sure how much of that is going on right now, but I'm sure there are always traveling nurses and doctors coming into this area that need short term housing.A lot, of property management companies will only do a minimum of one year leases, but I think there is good value to be had in the short term rental game, as long as you have a good strategy and a management company that is align with your vision.When I was leasing full-time, I used to get a lot of calls from insurance companies who have clients who's properties have been in a fire or some natural disaster and need short term housing, and they're also willing to pay a lot higher than market rent. 

nice 1st house hack

For water we always keep that in the owner's name (since, in our area at least, water bills run with the house and not the customer).

You can definitely invest out of state - a lot of my out of state real estate clients are successfully BRRRRing and flipping houses in Columbus Ohio!