But for non-turnkey investors, I would say it's actually much easier/less work to invest in crowdfunding/syndications.2) lack of full cycle experience: some platforms originate their own deals and are the managers of their own funds.

My primary residency is a house that I own free and clear.

I'm a new investor looking for my first deal and a primary residence.

I feel like taking on a rental, as well as purchasing a new primary residence I would be smart to meet with an accountant.Any suggestions on how to find a good one?

In that, I just bought my primary residence (a SFH) last year and not planning on moving anytime soon.

Just because you do have a gain on your adjusted basis and it does not sound like it was your primary residence, and able to avoid any gain.

Here in Canada, both commercial and residential mortgage have terms less than 10yrs ... the most common being 5-years, so "balloons" and renewals are the norm.As Omar indicated your primary concern should be running your business as efficiently as you can and maximizing the revenue stream.    

I own 2 condos in the same building (~$150K value each) in Logan Square, one is financed through a local bank that sold the property as a foreclosure several years ago and the other we paid for through a HELOC on our primary residence. 

If they have a long history with lots of reviews it means they have put quite a bit of money into that platform and it must be working since they are still using it (it is not cheap for contractors in my opinion). 

From my experience, insurance rates on rental properties are higher than primary residence.