@Namit Raisurana, on the surface of it, are you sure you need to concern yourself over $3,500 (0.7%), when it'll get you double the amount you'd get otherwise?

NC has some fantastic schools in a very concentrated fashion, so I want to go an take a look.Un saludo!

If you feel you must worry, worry instead that your all-cash offers are as low as possible (because you'd be paying cash), and, that your juggling with your relatives' HELOCs will proceed smoothly, in a timely fashion.

On the surface it sounds like it should be doable for most portfolio lenders 

Hi everybody, I just got my first duplex under contract and will be financing it FHA 3.5% owner occupied, so a little good old fashioned house hacking.

Just the old-fashioned "Buy something, and save for the next thing."

On the surface you will need $6K per month minimum to get positive cash flow from a property in that price range.

I wouldn't just tape those up.....Hard to tell on pix, but it may just be dust that is accumulating in areas due to normal air circulation/turbulence....if that's the case, you really just need to clean the unit up...... dust will kill the efficiency of cooling unitsWorst case is that its something liquid leaking and its blowing that material across that surface and dirt is sticking to thatBy sealing it up without knowing the issue, you are just encasing the issue out of site and will likely just postpone needing to deal with it.Id take the covers off and take  a better look....my gut is that's it dust material

Once the early adapters have spread the current RE "virus" or strategy at too many meetups, and the trend has become a fashion for all, most don't realize, that it's too late to jump on that band wagon.

Hopefully the seller has an experienced negotiator who will get answers out of the lender(s) in a timely fashion so that the process isn’t too drawn out.Would be happy to refer an experienced realtor in the Portland area who is familiar with short sales, if you are looking for one.