30% of your gross income really cuts into your ability to make much money. 

If they happen to cut corners and have placed a bad tenant, OR if they placed a perfectly good tenant and set bad habits, OR if they did something like set an expectation of below market rent with a perfectly good tenant then you get all of that.So, reduced risk with all the seller's habits wrapped up in it, or increased front-end risk with none of that.It's not always that simple, but sometimes it is :) 

Best to cut a check for the work or at least have your accounting show full rents paid.  

Being a duplex the gas bill cant be transferred to both tenants so it will cut down on the cash flow in the winter.

Here is my story and experience:I started with Susie Orman mentality - cut your credit card 💳, contribute to retirement account and blah blah blah.Very quickly I realized that I don't want to wait for ever to be able to "enjoy" my golden years.Today I still contribute to 401K as little as needed to get maximum employer's matching.

Take a year and 1- listen to a BP Show per day, 2-cut your living expenses as much as you can believe it or not you can find $1,500/month by reducing rent & car & cutting luxury expanses and in a year you will have $18,000 - this will suck but it’s an investment!!

Cut the tree, get new flowers for the front.

Big banks will cut you off at around 3-4 loans, smaller banks can stretch you out to the 10 loan limit, if your DTI stays within their risk parameters.

Well, before Uncle Sam takes his cut. 

People act like you just go to the bank and the teller cuts you a check or something.