That is an easy way to source a local contractor based on recommendations from people with first hand knowledge.

That was my favorite spot.

If you wanted to save time, I bet you could just read the show notes and pull a book list from those.My current favorite is "What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow" by Frank Gallinelli 

We also assist with sourcing:)

Local facebook groups can also be a good source of referrals when the time comes. 

.#1 & #4 Per lending guidelines, the source of down payment for a rental can be borrowed from loc, relatives, etc.

There are some caveats to that which I wont dive into.Second, set you minimum stay on Airbnb to 30 days that way you can airbnb that other end of your duplex legally even if your city does not allow STR's as investment properties.Third, which is my favorite... throw the multiunit idea out the window since there is less inventory on the market and competition can be more difficult.

Many people think real estate investing is about money, management, and "investing"...when, in reality, it's all about deal sourcing.

Buy your second investment home with a mortgage (20% down) like you should be doing, then save your cash for your "dream home".You want to leverage your investment properties because the source of funds to pay the loan comes from the tenant's rent, not your pocket. 

In my previous county the winter temps meant that county code required an extra supplemental source of heat (electric whatever or a wood stove) as the heat pumps wouldn't heat a room under a certain temp.