If you're going through a realtor to purchase it that realtor should be giving you a discounted listing on the resale so that should save you a % or so.If you want to PM me I can comp it for you if you want another set of eyes on it

My primary objective is acquiring decent cash flow and the savings that I have aren’t tied to any kind of debt.

Mine did, and saved me (easily) the cost of tax prep; and I'd been self-preparing for over 30 years - - - during which time I now realize I paid some "stupid tax".Best to you - whatever you decide. 

I know with this being your first rental, the idea of vacancy is scary, but please trust me; a month of vacancy while you wait for a great tenant is going to save you thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours and immeasurable amounts of stress compared to what will happen if you pull the trigger on a questionable tenant because you are eager.

You could do it yourself if you're trying to save money although I would recommend you hire an attorney.

Save 10k , buy a 90k duplex :DI think if you start buying lotto tickets sometime next week, you should be able to raise 10k within a few months or so

I decided instead to save the $ and create organized systems that help alleviate some of the more tedious work that comes along with managing the properties myself. 

But while you're saving up, consider a mini house hack and get a roommate!

. - Leverage and save on taxes.I think your idea of buying one property for cash is splendid. 

So it may be wise for you to get yourself educated for a bit first and put the money into a low-risk liquidatable investment or savings account for now.Lastly, I swear BP isn’t paying me to promote this book, but I did recently buy and listen to the Audible version of the BP Publishing book by David Greene, Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties, which you can find on the BP Store or Amazon.