My advice, don't take advice from people on an online forum (especially ones who give you an answer from chatGPT), go with the professional's opinion.  

What are some good references for looking at how people set up their spreadsheets to track expenses?

Crazy how many people are negative. 

However, those houses are surrounded by people earning an average income of $22,000 a year.Location, location, location.

With a house hack, you are actually owning an asset that other people might want. 

After finding properties that look distressed does people write offers before seeing the inside of the property?

@Dakota Mivshek From my recollection I think mostly I was dealing with the secretary of the company or some assistant and these people are all unlicensed, unprofessional, basically don't have any concept of how to structure contracts or even withdraw from a contract unfortunately.  

Now I see people accept the $1000 and turn around and "rent the garage" for $200 per month or "rent the appliances" which is legal so long as the garage are appliances are not included amenities on the HAP contract. 

In both three people end up contributing all of the equity and one manages the project.

I'm buying another duplex there next month.If you are in Detroit you have what so many people here would kill for... a cheap market in your backyard that's makes it easy to learn.