We also have all of our tenants pay their own heat and electric. 

This is a way to 1. pay lower origination since you are taking a loan for 100-140k and 2. keep your first note rate in place. 

Can I pay the contractor I found myself and just let them know the work is being done or is it best to run everything through the manager?

Aim for places where you make more money than you spend on things like loan payments, taxes, insurance, upkeep, and paying someone to manage the property.

I have another full-time job, man, and I certainly don’t pay a property management company to add stress to my life because I have to manage them like children in a daycare.

If you make $30K a year from rents it will take you 10 years to pay off the ADU. 

Take the money you would be forced to pay for the course and use it to buy your first property and take off from there. 

@Kaleb Phillips you could pay for a mentor, but not many good ones worth what they charge.Everything you need to know is actually on the internet, much of it here on BP.Recommend working backwards: What results do you want?

Our top source for applications is Zillow and we pay to get more exposure on Zillow, so if you aren't doing that, check into doing that.

Pay off all debt(besides mortgage).