I have only been involved in a few deals myself, but was raised by a father who understood the term "Sweat Equity". 

There is high risk of special assessments and deferred maintenance whenthe Percent Funded is weak, below 30%.

It appears with apartments ,occupancy is less of a risk  ,where it can take up to two years to fill your self storage facility to capacity .

When you get more involved, and learn more, you can make the 'pro' decision much better.

I have been involved in the construction industry for my entire life, as my family owns a construction business. 

I am currently investing in Cape May and Atlantic county.There are tons of ways to get involved and surround yourself with other investors that are doing it and doing it well.Kurt Kwart is an amazing resource that hosts investor panels as well.

There are time requirements involved in that you will have to live in the other side of the duplex for a certain number of months, but I don't know what those are.

But quite frankly, I am sick and tired of the snake oil salesman and garbage this industry attracts.For starters, wholesaling a property can work to the benefit of all parties involved.  

If your timeline is 1-2 years then money market or CD will be your best vehicle to park your money.You don't want to risk your principal in anything riskier with a short timeline.

The rents/HOA dues compared to the listing prices (140k-220k) make it seem like an easy entry point into real estate with relatively low risk since I will live there initially and a large portion of the property is taken care of.