Should I bring in any professional appraiser as part of my due diligence?

Paying cash may help investors sleep better at night (ignorance being bliss) but losing all that money every month is certainly not wise investing.A wise investor maximises leverage to generate highest returns on cash and holds a reserve in other vehicles to be used for the same security as dead equity while still earning maximum returns.

My recommendations are to: 1) Hire a professional PM that deals exclusively well with lower end rentals (I can recommend a couple).

This will require some html and css skills at a minimum but unlike the previously mentioned hosted domains your code will be portable if you upgrade later.If you plan on designing something professional with some modicum of support you will end up paying something.

In our market it seems most professional painters prefer Dunn Edwards paint.

Probably not because it would be extremely hard to prove and not worth the time and effort so then it becomes more of a moral question for you.If I were weighing whether or not to stay in and bought a house because there was a relatively good chance that I would, then I would not lose sleep if my plans changed and I wound up getting out and moving before my year was up.

If you're willing to provide some rough numbers in the post, there are plenty of professionals here on BP that would be happy to chime in and provide more color. 

My advice is who you will be renting too. college kids big money from parents. your average Mr and Ms Joe who have a professional job with no kids etc. what amenities will you be putting in washer dryer dish washer etc.

I just finished a career as a professional ballet dancer in Aspen, Colorado but I have been coming to Portland for the last couple of years visiting my husband who moved for an opportunity here. 

I have looked at a few strategies to get started and the one that sounds the most appealing to me right now is to purchase my first property as an owner-occupied multi unit or a single with additional rooms to rent to local young professionals.