My prop manager (in Airbnb land they are called co-hosts) advertises on Airbnb for >30 day stays, corportaterentalbyowner.com, vrbo.com ..   

Are there any REI Networks that meet regularly that you know of and attend in the DMV area?

As has been stated on these forums regularly, the seller also benefits greatly given the consistent return of the note and at a much higher rate than one would receive from a bank and with less volatility than would be experienced in the stock market.In my uneducated opinion syndication offers higher potential for return whereas seller financing offers more financial flexibility.

If you have one where you are netting $100 a month but have to be in regular contact with the owner as well as mitigate the inevitable problems that arise when then interact with the tenant directly, the juice is just not worth the squeeze. 

I will acquire a home warranty and if I need anything additional, I will call brother again and he has a host of connections if needed.

I'd also ask the host of the meet up group or other members at that meet up if they've worked with the lender before.

Working directly with sellers is the bulk of the equity capture I need at the buy.Look for tired plexes, carpet and a dumpster in the driveway, yard/moving sale holders, places for rent and to your circle you deal with regularly. 

The host was from New York and mentioned how crazy the MF market in NY currently is 3% and 4% CAP rates. 

Should I get an electrical inspection done outside of the regular home inspection since this is an older home? 

If both are at low rates and your credit is good, I would save and buy a rental instead of paying off the loans (obviously continue to make the regular payments).