For example, I know that if my hot water goes out in my apartment, they will get someone there after hours to fix it.

That seems to be the hot ticket.

Multifamily properties are really hot in my market and I wanted to know how the offering/contracting process goes. the property is on the MLS and I am working through a realtor (specializes in first-time house buyers but not in real estate investors).Can I make an offer before seeing the occupied side, get it under contract, then negotiate the price after seeing the other side?

Due to having so many balls in the air right now, I'll be moving a little slower than many here, but I hope to listen and learn along the way, until I can start pulling the trigger.Thanks, Jay

It's probably not as "hot" a list as it could be but the 2 deals this year are from individuals that wouldn't have been there with our original filters. 

It's the same with FHA in the 2-4 unit space in a hot market... it takes some combination of hustle, sweetening the deal, sales, being the first/only offer, etc, for best results.

Not worth the risk of another appraiser but the $50000 difference just seems large especially with the hot market.

If not, contact a good attorney who can help you through the process before you deal with the buyer as there are usually required disclosures, whether you're working with an agent or not, that can get you in some hot water if you don't provide them before making an agreement with a buyer, and you'll need to have an accurate idea of fees involved to come up with a final price.  

@Anton Watt every market is different, but try using rentals.com, hot pads, VRBO, AirBNB, there are so many, just google it!!!

On the other hand the Market is HOT right now and similar 4plex units are selling between $320-$380k.