Does it have any amenities like a laundry room and a nearby bus stop, school in the neighberhood, closeness to shopping center, etc..  

Next thing ya know, boutiques, coffee and wine shops will be popping up.Congrats and please keep us posted!

You'll need to shop and compare either by drive by or craigslist ad rental positing to find out what competition is actually getting for rentals.Good luck it's a lot of work.

Your big box store has it in a bag back by the concrete mixes. 

Michael - I think in the beginning , it is very important for you to find a broker who provides plenty of TRAINING - this will likely come at the expense of lower payouts to you at first - but with the right training , education, and confidence - you will have the knowledge and experience to shop around for a broker who gives you more free time and higher payouts - but initially, I would say that getting properly trained and educated is of primary concern.

As a first time home buyer, I'm trying to determine the best market to shop for a duplex. 

Shopped around, previous agencies re-quoted my building with even larger increase.  

For a shopping center how much would you expect to spend psf for asphalt sealing and pavement markings?  

If bagged concrete meets your needs - have you considered going that route and just renting a portable mixer?

Larger projects such as shopping centers and investing internationally will be in the near future once I have established myself a cash flow.