You won't qualify for a mortgage w/o steady income and most lenders like to see 2 years of consistency, usually with the same employer.

Does the duplex consist of two separate deeds? 

I also like the limited partner aspect, meaning that in the unlikely event the deal goes south you won't be subject to liability beyond losing your initial investment. 

(reps = repetitions)  Estimating costs is one of the most difficult aspects to all improvement-driven real estate investing. 

I have enough for a 3.5% DPProblem 1: I have a job but no W2 income BUT am currently switching into a W2 at the end of the monthProblem 2: Dont have the 10-20 percent DP for the property for a conventional DPProblem 3: Holding costs for Hard Money for a few months until Bank accepts my new “W2 Job” for proper mortgage financing(I am aware there will be some time for proof of consistent funds from new W2 job to getting the FHA mortgage)*And yes I know about PMI with FHAIs this a strategy that sounds reasonable or am I making a bad decision?

If the trust or LLC pays the insurance premium, this is consistent with its ownership of the property and maintains the separation of the asset in the name of the trust/LLC and the protections that go with that separation. 

And where is this $180000 rental that can support consistent $1600/mo rent?

I completely agree with using owner occupied financing to purchase and you just upgrade either the lot, location, dwelling, neighborhood, or some other aspect of the property when you move to the next one. 

I'd say, you're covering a lot of good sources - Realtor, meetups, postcards.The key here will be to remain consistent.

Also, to place a goal of 10 units for your first year may make you stretch to hit those goals when you first purchases should be well thought out and carefully done so you don't set a flimsy base for what you want to achieve long-term.You can look up several posts about who people use for the DM mailers, but it's all about consistency, volume, and call back rate.