This is more of a commercial real estate rule of thumb and I think it is less applicable to small multifamily 2-4 unit properties for several reasons.

Initial purchase was in August and contractor committed to get the house renovated in time for us to get it into the mls by Labor Day.

That can mean you will find some areas that are quite shallow and might not be as waterfront as you would like in times of drought.

They can ask you to serve notice so one unit (or both) are vacant at the time of possession, but if you agree to that make sure you have a large deposit and some of that is not refundable if the buyer backs out as you will need it to cover the lost rent.

Pensacola is a great town, I'm sure that you'll enjoy your time here. 

Reach out to a few and see who you like.You can also ask members of your local real estate investors association for real estate accountant recommendations.Good luck.

Its possible underwriting might balk at a nonconforming unit because in theory it could be shut down at any time and that income could evaporate. 4.

I'm Cindy Wirth from Oceanside, CA, passionate about real estate investing for the past few years.

I'm concerned that if I place an ad to find people who will work on an hourly basis (in the area of the property) that I might have a hard time finding people who can reliably respond to emergencies during off hours, but I can't afford to have someone working full time or with standard on-call rotations. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!