I saw a lot of conflicting  information on the Internet about whether condo is a type of RE ownership or just a bunch of units sharing walls.

Hi, I’m trying to get into str, I have a place with an hoa.

Please include:When and how is rent to be paidWhen and how are utilities going to be paid (if any)When and how is the cleaning going to be (if shared or provided)What are the costs associated with damages / breaking stuff / calling a technicianWhat are the costs of breaking the lease, finding a replacement if you are doing short term leases on the roomsIf they lost their keys or check bounces what is the charge for it, how the cleaning of the common areas is going to work, and enforcing quiet hours.

Looking for consulting for properties in Chicago and TexasI can share a few recommendations if you PM me.

About 4-6 buyers got the lion's share of the SFH 200k-400k homes.

In most places you can only do work requiring a building permit if it is your primary residence or unless you are a licensed and insured contractor. 

Since this post got bumped, I'd love to hear any tips or tricks anyone would care to share about your last minute "game plan" if you happen to get a strong lead to reach back out/etc, with under 24-48 hours before auction.

once you actually identify a specific property, you need real numbers.in a duplex you may have two of everything (unless some utilities are shared) - two furnaces, two water heaters, two sets of appliances, lots of bathrooms. 

Has anyone had experience for assessed property value appeal and/or has general advice on lowering property tax you could share? 

If the sales price is $850k you will need significant down payment to carry the DSCR loan on $5300 current rents...check in with @Joseph Chiofalo  as DSCR loans 5+ units are typically a bit more difficult to place as well.