I am not sure what the plan is in terms of metering each unit and passing that cost on to the tenants as well as other improvements that could increase rent, however, those costs should be part of the negotiations and hence on the overall price.  

And in the short term I need to find a way to increase my annual income.

Charles County, MO, and I unknowingly house-hacked a property at a resort a few years ago.My goal is to increase my position in RE and learn as much about the industry as possible.I'm happy to be part of the community now (officially) and look forward to interacting with you all.

Also, at your price point, it will be a challenge to find any duplexes around that number that are in good shape or in the most popular areas.  

With live-in flipping, how can you figure out what part of your gains is from the real estate market increase as opposed to gains from your own sweat equity and rehabbing? 

Just increase the next rent to recoup some parts of the costs.

The goals that I hope to achieve through real estate investing are: 1) to provide a cash flow stream for my mother as she gets older and requires assisted living or nursing home facilities, 2) provide a cash flow stream for my younger brother (who has Down's Syndrome) as he gets older and requires assisted living facilities and increased medical attention, and 3) provide a means of early retirement for me and my older brother.While listening to BP podcast #276 (my favorite) the other morning, I had that lightbulb moment of how to get started in real estate investing. 

Best advice I can give you now is to keep increasing your RE knowledge through books, podcasts, webinars, etc!

Primarily, we are looking for BRRRR and buy & hold properties and know rehab expenses are imminent.Question - What's the best way to increase our lending limits without completely tanking our scores?     

Value add investments typically have in-place cash flow and that cash flow can be increased over time by re-positioning the property and through operational improvements.