Wow this is the kind of work that truly makes a difference and builds trust.

Invest in a monthly subscription to PropStream, which will give you access to MLS data, county data, and so much more.

Grateful to be able to join this group to learn and gain knowledge from different people.

@Shannon Brill I think you might be overthinking this for a duplex.

If so, how do I get around this or at least make it to where only the rental income from the property is taxable locally? 

Just messaged him a link to this post, hopefully he can pop in and share.

In addition to Realtor.ca (ICX.ca, MLS.ca), you can also search Kijiji for the city/region in which you are interested,

Having never worked with an equity partner, how would one structure this?  

Yazoo clay  in a 1 inch block with zero water.. if you take that one inch block and add water it can expand out to 12 inchs by 12 inchs  this is why the pipes burst all over the place in the city of Jackson..

The best way to build relationships with cash buyers is to establish yourself as an authority in this space.