I'm looking to stay out of the flood plain as well.

I am looking to start with a duplex but I think I will have to come up with 20% down.SFR’s are much harder to cash flow in my area so I am staying clear of those ;)Really wish you the best of luck with these deals.

Which will likely end up being the person being "Well, Jimmy said he had a spare room I could stay in". 

My 60 day challenge to myself is to get a duplex and I want to stay in NW Indiana area while I learn the ropes.I look forward to having great discussions about RE with everyone here.

The question is how to find someone who will manage the property and make sure it is ready for guest in between stays.

Keep in mind that you will also be competing with the likes of Extended Stay America and other similar companies.

As we are balancing a young, growing family and career, life is busy and crazy at times, but we are anxious to get started in REI, in one form or another.To avoid staying on the sidelines for too long, we are steadily chipping away at our "to-dos" to get started.

They had been staying at a family's place while it was getting taken care of. 

A tenant who wants to stay in a property indefinitely at the current rent could theoretically schedule an inspection and freeze their rent and lease.

Rents were WAY under market at $2,400/month + the previous landlord was paying their electric up to $300/month (which, not surprisingly, the tenants made sure to maximize monthly).