This is just a stop-gap measure to give him time to sell that Kansas City rental house, clear it from his debt/income ratio, and then refinance into a 30 year fixed. 

Presently, I aim for a 50/50 split between physical REI and Stocks/Bonds/ETFS in both my taxable investments and IRA.Got more questions, want to meet people?

Forgot to mention that my next aim is to go for a small multi-family (2-4) property within the next year.

If you aim for less nice neighborhoods, your cap rate and C of C will be much higher but may not be worth the headache.

Materials can be a black hole so putting control measures on them in your contract is imperative.

@Justin HerringtonDid you measure the bedroom windows in that lower unit?  

The cash-flow, and more specifically the cash-on-cash return and total ROI is the best measure. 

I usually invest in single family homes, so I'm not sure what type of cash flow I should be aiming for on a duplex. 

@Lourdemir Aime Financing comes in different packages, with each package having a different use.  

If someone (here) reaches out for knowledge or spouts (perceived) flawed knowledge, who wouldn't want to respond in a way that is aimed at steering the ship in the right direction, as soon as possible?