Looking forward to the passive income but also to the tax benefits

It might give you peace of mind as a newer / smaller investor, but in the end you have a problem you want to solve (taxes and being compliant), and if your tax guys owns a duplex will have no impact on his ability to address those issues. 

Similarly, there's a divide on whether taxes should be included or not in determining NOI.This lack of consensus has left me scratching my head.

The total monthly payment will be pretty close to this: P&I - $1,295, Taxes - $420, Insurance - $175, PMI - $220, for a grand total of around $2,100/m.

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/530/topics/1056436-clearing-up-confusion-on-tax-treatment-of-short-term-rentals

If you're looking for a landlord friendly state with lower taxes and a market with lots of potential for appreciation, Columbus could be a good fit.Best of luck as you start out! 

Obviously 1k is not enough to cover the transfer tax and Sheriff's fees... 2) I thought Sheriff's sales were exempt from transfer tax in PA?

Tax free money is always something to consider and even BETTER than a 1031 exchange which only defers taxes.

Nevada is landlord friendly and low property taxes. 

Any tax benefit for havingnegative cash flow i.e let say you have rentals with +ve cash flow that add the total income and for me i already have w2 so that extra +ve cash flow make me pay more to uncle SAM (which i don't mind as such, Uncle SAM can use that to fix the roads i travel) will -ve cash flow properties will negete the +ve cash flow with a long term goal that at some point the -ve cash flow will become +ve and i pay uncle SAM more to fix the road due to rain. is that your thinking too :)I am not a tax expert but a long time RE investor.