Ever get involved with that?

However, it seems like a 4-plex would be difficult to finance unless owner financing was involved.

Keep in mind that along with rent you also need to cover furnishings, utilities, cleaning staff, maintenance and supplies.

Waste of a mortgage given the fees involved. 

It's also unlikely that they have done any updating and kept up on all the maintenance so a lower offer is more reasonable and you have a renovation opportunity.Come up with a list of services you can offer to make it easy for them to sell (as-is) and to move (clean-up service).

In a limited sense, I'd guess that the money you spend that will get the greatest return is cleaning, mowing, and painting. 

That is not the case everywhere, and not the case where I live in DC where almost no agents are involved with rentals.It is pretty common for agents in Boston to receive fees from both the landlords and the tenants.

No need to involve a middleman on a small deal like this (in my opinion).4.

I tend to stay away from trusts, because there is a lot to deal with usually (attorneys, parties involved, etc.)

Start with the basics as others have recommended: get an entry level job, see if you can do a related field even if its just cleaning up around a construction site.