You can post ads on all of the major free online classifieds and watch the calls start to flow in.

Just kidding about the Donald, but some other successful investor (see classified ads) might consider taking you under wing in exchange for your time stuffing envelopes or distributing flyers.

Online classified ads like Craigslist3.

I'm assuming there must have been (or there is) a shared fence or "wall" between the two houses by which the city classified it as a duplex?

@Evan Pickvet-Hall Your agent might be referring to the fact that you might not be able to qualify for typical home mortgage programs as most lenders prefer SFRs to even 4 units (even though they are both classified as residential). 

It looks like if I want to buy, since I am now classified as a non-resident, I would be looking at a minimum 35% down payment.

Can you please make some brief comments, Amongst Tempe, Mesa, Chandler and Scottsdale, how are they classified ?

What would classify as an emergency?

they won't classify the mortgage as a 2nd property, they'll lend to me as an investment property

This includes keeping track of contributions, share of income and distributions.You should be able to classify it as a contribution.