A simple one page (wordpress type) website would be great to have initially.

Currently cash-flowing with 5% down initial investment.

I disagree with the previous poster initially but realize that it is all dependent on your risk tolerance, personal finances, and overall strategy.  

One good way to get going is to create a solid plan to look at the investment needed for your first project or rental and then Initiate that plan in a step by step bases.

My initial estimate is $5000 per, up to $10000 on some.

Many people use them either as a last minute fallback when they can’t purchase any of the properties they chose during their 45 day period, or as their last 1031 exchange as they are a completely passive income generator.

@Graham Richard Anderson Search engine optimization and Google Adwords are by far the best lead generation methods.

Transactions take time to go from listing/buyer agreement to closing. 6 months may seem like a long time but if you're educating yourself on the business while working on lead generation/conversion you'll be in better shape than most people starting off.Another tip would be to consider joining a team.

Then I'm told by architects that duplexes are built to a different standard than three plexes, like requiring fire escapes, which by appearances change the nature of the neighborhood, often generating opposition.

Your PM is so key with maximizing your ROI.I also transitioned to a new agent after my initial one.