Keep pushing forward—this is just the beginning, and I’m excited to see where your journey takes you!

I put an offer in on the rental I currently occupy, but came in under where my landlord (and 1 partner in this property) were looking at to even entertain giving up a cash flowing property. - He bought this 4br/2ba for 285k put 20k +/- in and I rent for 2700.

@Cathy LiRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

This one was a fun one, with no real major issues, just needed a lot of repair and updating.

I have wholesaled properties like this in the past, but I'd like to keep this one for myself if possible. 

I have this plan where I first start out with a duplex , Rent 1 live in one for a year move back in with my parents and then leverage off that duplex to get another property right away.

I know exactly how this company and franchise operates.

Here is an excellent article on housing market expectations on appreciation from one of the world's top investment banking firms Goldman Sachs: What are some of the big differences you’re seeing among US regions?
"Ye...

What benefit does this provide them?

This has become a trend, where the initial numbers appear strong, but subsequent revisions show a weaker-than-expected labor market.