There is one particularly popular RE company that I will NOT do business with under any circumstance.I honestly only need someone to show the place during the morning hours.

My short answer to you would be to not rule either a choice of single family or duplex out.

The seller can (contrary to popular guru beliefs) sell a property under an option with the sale being subject to the rights of the option.

Your choice whether to learn these lessons first hand or by reading about others' experiences of course.Good hunting-*Not a real book (I hope)

Take some time and seek out the competition in the area, looking at the popular vacation rental sites.

Neither choice is any good.

There close to down town, bus lines an art school, restaurants its a popular area.Would the best move after the refinance, to hold them until they reach the $120,000 value, then do a 1031 and move on to something different?

Effectively the landlord is subsidizing your living choices.

Contract for Deeds or Land Contracts were the most popular method of doing installment deals, but due to the new laws and issues around unlawful foreclosures I' m not seeing much use for them now, without major modifications to the point that they really wouldn't be seen as the old CFD.

You may have more turnover but if you are on top of it and market correctly you should be able to fill those vacancies before they are vacancies.I'd love to hear your choice!