The roof is a major ticket item that can really hurt the renovation budget. 

Rough estimation: $200 - 450Gross property income: $1700 (assuming no income from a fourth unit because I would be living there)Payments and utilities: $-1450 (at max)Cash flow: $=250 (Give or take depending on utility cost, time of year, vacancy etc...)As a new investor and landlord, should I be afraid of this property and the somewhat unorthodox nature of a single family / fourplex conversion house?

From experience, i've learned to get specific details when it comes to line item budget.

I don't really care for their opinion on rental rates, so I won't be having conversations with them about it.We know how much rent we need to get to make a decent profit on any given house, but I'd like to be able to figure what we should be getting, based on the market. 

There was also a fire in the home less than 3 years ago, so all the major ticket items have been replaced already.

Seems like just the thing for a rental: if the tenants break it, you charge them for it at move-out and let Ikea replace the damaged items at no charge.

A good chunk of items will have to be estimate/not exact because they don’t know what cabinets, flooring, light fixtures you’re using so there’s now way to be penny-precise on that but they should have some pretty good estimates as to what granite countertops, flooring, cabinets are going to cost you.

If you ever want to reach out and have any more conversations about the area and share experiences I would love to connect. 

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area:http://www.biggerpockets.com/meetSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you:http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide:http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingIf you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

Is that better done via email for a record of the conversation, or is a letter better?