To make a long story short a relative has given me and my wife a large sum of money as a gift and we want to use this to purchase our first Condo/home.

Chris, have u ever thought about starting out investing in duplexes?

Probably the biggest thing was that I partnered with a contractor who had a different vision for the property than I did.It was an old duplex that he envisioned as being sold only to an investor and he wanted to finish it with low-mid grade finishes (formica, wall-wall carpet, clean up the old gas stoves, etc). 

Does homeowners insurance cover leaks from one apartment into another?

I live in a condo.

Water leaked from my toilet to the downstairs apartment. Not sure how much but there is at least some sheetrock damage. The...

I believe I have found a solid first deal on a duplex, only 2 minutes from my house.

Would starting off with a 5 unit property be a good idea or should we start off with a duplex or triplex?

I was losing money on a condo I was renting out, but someone bought it and that market is also still appreciating. 

Wondering if there's any advantage to shopping around, if lenders have different scales...If it makes a difference, this is for a duplex we will be househacking / owner-occupy. 

We found our duplex by driving to find a vacant one and having our realtor contact the owners.

What is the new value of your duplex?