Also, what have been your most successful types of data other than absentee owners?

Currently house hunting for a single family home to move into myself. I will be keeping the duplex as an investment/rental property. 

My thinking is that I need to create a set of business accounts using my name as the owner and flow my income/expenses on these first two properties though those accounts and then have a separate set of accounts for the LLC activities related to any new properties.

What are other relevant questions I should ask owner?

How well did the previous owner screen tenants?

The one thing I can say, is interview and research companies and their owners (operators).

Lacking multi family experience but considering the owner is motivated to sell and from the information provided this appeared to a very solid lead.  

And lets say 6 months later, the owner redeems the property.  

Some good ones are:1. subject to my partners approval (your pet rat can be your partner)2. subject to 90 day inspection (HOPEFULLY you can broker it by then)3. subject to 40 year mortgage at -0-% interestOperating as an unlicensed broker isn't an easy job.

One strategy you may want to think about is buying a home during the owner occ period.