You’re betting on appreciation and choosing to lose money monthly (rather than increasing a down payment) to make that educated guess and keep capital in the bank.

Live in a unit an renovate another unit.So I thin the 22.5k that Home Depot is charging for cabinets and top are out of this world.I also don’t want to spend so little that it hurts rental appeal of my unit.I’d like to spend 12k for the counter and about 4k for the top.What are good brands to look at that have 2-3 week then around time?

I also checked out the meeting you organize- I love the charging  a token amount that both buys the group pizza and weeds out the people who RSVP impulsively but never show up- something I'll keep in mind for a meeting I might try to arrange in the future.

I have no landlord experience and know that PMs usually charge 1 month's rent to find you a tenant and of course any repairs or maintenance that may ariseWith the following information, would it be better off to stay at my current apartment and just end my lease when it's time to take an assignment or should I purchase the duplex and possibly make extra income through cash flow and equity but also run the risk of repairs, maintenance, etc?

What type of terms are usually acceptable to a PML (as far as length of time to pay back and interest charged)?

@Tony C. remember the advice: "Don't bet long term with short term money." 

FYI - City marine, and I assume others, charge a primium to owners who do short term rentals.  

Your better bet is with the income from the business and adding back any depreciation expense you are claiming. 

@Aaron Van Curen Is there a reason you're charging yourself to preform services on your own properties? 

Most investors start with "house hacking", getting a 2-4plex and then renting out the other units and owner-occupy one of them.yes, buying and renting out property is a wise idea as long as you rent to good tenants and charge them sufficient rents to justify the cost of owning the property.