Is this structure as common as she makes it out to be? 

Is this a common requirement?

I spent a lot of time and energy learning residential laws, common practices, apartment rental values, and anything else I can.

It is pretty common to go through a crew or two before you find a good fit. 

@Kejia Tang The most commonly used contract in Arizona is the Arizona Association of Realtor contract, developed and kept current by the Association.

I’ve found many to be scams, especially the ridiculously low priced listings.   2) As you look for a home to live in, know what is most important (strong rental potential, high appreciation, etc.) to you and be ready to make some trade offs. 3) If you’re looking ITP (inside I-285), visit the Atlanta Regional Commission website and the Atlanta Beltline website to gain an understanding of planned development for various areas, ie Westside Park, Westside Trail, transportation, etc)Best of luck and enjoy the journey!!

Taking the check, depositing it to my bank, then simply regularly paying the mortgage down seems like the most common sense thing to do, but doesn't seem to be the most financially responsible thing to do when tax season comes around.Would having an LLC and depositing the check into a business account make more sense?

@Sam Westfall - A common strategy to offset the cost of expensive college housing, is to purchase a place (home, townhome, condo) and then use it as well as rent it to friends. 

For example in Michigan property reasssess for taxes every year and common they uncap to purchase price whereas in North Carolina and it it every 10 years and purchase price does not affect assessment.

One common takeaway from every informational source is that networking is absolutely vital to succeed in this line of work.