A good duplex can provide you with private yard, an attached garage, and more of a "house" feeling but renting out the other half can dramatically reduce your expenses and possibly even allow you to live there for free.

The company is currently using are less than professional, they seemed to have forgotten to collect debt on one of my units last month.

What I'm really curious about his hard money/private lending in the valley, and good contractors for flipping/upgrading. 

Commercial, private, or portfolio loans.

If you don't you could end up 60 days down the road and lose the property to a faster Buyer.If there is truly no income then you have to buy the property wholesale...you will need bridge funding either private money, hard money, or a bank that does bridge financing. 

It was an typo it was to say a trusted private lender. 

I am looking for a private lender.

Having it allows me to not only to buy, sell and pay myself but it helps us on our taxes since we are investors (ask your CPA about being a "real estate professional"), allows us to view homes when we want, I can lease property in my state and it allows me to be a property manager.

Looking into a multi family property, to buy. we have secured private funding for a cash deal then refinance with a first time home buyer loan.

So with that, I leave most of my rehab cash in the property (40k) for the next 6 months. or2) Purchase the property using private/HML - lets say at 40K and $40K rehab - total all in is $80k (not including lender fees + closing fees).