I found a duplex priced at $550k that appears in good living condition.

@Dave Allen  I don't know if any lenders can comment, they may suggest a different type of loan but if you are half owners  I would think you would split the income but if you were living there I see why you did it the way you did.

I've thought about buying way below my means and just living in it for a year or two and turning it into a rental.

We own six units ourselves and know about renovations and take pride in where we live, especially when it's someone else's.We're looking for a SFH to rent in the Valley or West LA. 

The property may be "great value" but that's because of the lack of approved additions. 

Also is you purchase say a duplex and plan to live in one unit you can use the income from the second unit as long as there is a tenant with a 12 month history.

I would say for my investment criteria anything more than $15K in turn-key rehab (in addition to my Entry Fee) is a no-go for Seller Finance.  

Originally posted by @David Robertson:...Here is a recent forum discussion with some other options as well.http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/84/topics/1610...In addition to the BP thread above, I suggest you check this other thread, as well as doing a search on the BP site for kitchen cabinets:http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/67/topics/155268-best-source-for-kitchen-cabinets

I just thought it would be great if there was a list of tenants that are qualified that I can reach out to, and I would even offer some discount to them to entice qualified tenants.This would be in addition to the usual zillow and facebook postings I have listed.

We live in Washington state, so this will be managed remotely.