Quote from @Erik Estrada: Hey Mario, I think you should first establish whether or not this is a non-owner occupied rental property or if this is just a primary residence refinance.

@Adedayo Adetunji people that break into a property & occupy it are called "squatters".On September 24, 2014, three new Michigan Statutes went into effect to make squatting a crime and give landlords more options to remove them (see Michigan HB 5069/PA223, HB 5070/PA224, HB 5071/PA225).

Wanted to know if landscaping is a tax deductable expense in general and if it differs when one unit is owner occupied.

If I were you keeping the property as 4 units and renting out bonus unit under the radar may be your best option especially if you plan to refi or do HELOC while occupying. 

Thanks for your help For an owner-occupied duplex, you’ll typically need a hybrid policy.

I am a franchisee with Subway. I currently own 30 units and we do about $15M a year. I am adding about 20 more this year, but there's one small pocket I'm struggling with the financing on (honestly, due to Huntington ...

I am buying a flip house from a wholesaler. There is a tenant in the home, no written lease. The tenant wants to stay 2 weeks post closing in order to get all of his stuff out. The house is a foreclosure so we cannot ...

Starting with an owner-occupied duplex is a smart way to build equity and gain experience.

If credit scores are fine, and you are just new to the work sector, then I would suggest doing a conventional loan with a strong income "non-occupying coborrower". 

Keep track of 3 buckets.1) Owner occupied portion - potential deductions for schedule A2) Tenant occupied portion - potential deductions for schedule E3) Jointly occupied portion - likely prorated for both schedules.There are nuances to this, so I recommend looking for a tax pro who can coach you on this.