I find that although the nightly rate is lower for long-term rentals, the money is still good because guests are willing to pay a premium for the convenience of a furnished place in a nice area.

Most do not realize that you will be cooling less square footage and will have less to clean AND a lower tax bill with a smaller house.

The pull for conventional loans independently comes from us getting lower interest rates and 30 year amortizations (higher cash flows) but we dont know if it will get sticky during tax season being that we arnt all on the mortgage together.

Easier to get in, bigger cash flow numbers, lower taxes, but there is less expectation for appreciation and Newark is more of a B-C area than PA which is an A area in my opinion.

All 3 tenants are paying lower than average esp the 1bd.

very very very common approach.. but agents are not going to get a seller to lower price just because they are double ending.. what usually happens is if there are multiple offers agents being human.. will slant their double ended deal .it does not equate to you getting the agent to sell the property for 25% less than what it could sell for on the open market.. agent would get in big trouble.

Your P & I would be lower resulting in improved Cash Flow.3. 

She wants to sell without an agent now and is therefore willing to lower the price.

But as Brant said above, they are lower risk and safer than mom and pop shops.Strip center's are also a great alternative and as you said, the diversity creates less risk and more opportunity. 

For owner-occupied, it can finance up to a four-plex.With this type of loan, renovations cannot exceed 75% of sales price + renovation, or the appraised value, whichever is lower.