Another big factor you have not shared is what is your payment arrangement.  

@Jacob SampsonI think the deciding factors would be determining how much of the $995 is going to building equity and what other factors are in place to offset the negative cash flow.  

Here in Dallas it doesn't really slow things down much, unless it's a family home, where people may not want to move, during the school year.With all that said, there is a reason you have a vacancy factor included in the holding cost of your rental.  

That's going to be tough for premiums as it takes a ton of factors into account.  

Lower unit does need appliances because there are none so I can maybe use that as a negotiating factor?  

After all, I enjoy getting checks monthly - but it would nice to cash in a fat check once in while too.Question 2 - Networking is key to finding good deals - MLS can have some good deals periodically - but the best deals are going to come from a distressed situation that you find out about through word of mouth - and that means staying in front of your network and growing it so that you are exposed to new situations and opportunities.

Then focus on cash flow and other factors.

What factors you are considering to mark you rent at $1,300.

Repairs depend on a lot of factors, like the age of the building.My first duplex was 100 years old, and I had old galvanized pipes (that usually need to be replaced after 50 years). 

There are many other factors that you can pull into the software that Zillow provides for free (zillow.com/research/data/).