My goal is to purchase a duplex in a solid A/B neighborhood to operate as a mid-term rental (MTR).I know how important it is to have the right team, so I’d love to connect with investor-friendly real estate agents, property managers, and co-hosts in either market.

All your questions about advice on financing and the local market can be answered here on BP.As you work to make and save more money, it couldn't hurt to begin speaking with friends and family. 

If this is your dream retirement place, perhaps you use the LTR to simply subsidize your purchase even if it's not fully cash-flow positive. 

I know a lot of investors that purchase in Dayton, Cleveland, and other Ohio markets as well.I can send you some referrals!

It's podcasts all day at work, reading or on BP on my lunch hour, and a few you tube videos before bed.  

That said I'm aware that I'm nowhere near doing all the due diligence that would be needed to seriously consider purchasing, even after asking ChatGPT to run some numbers on it.  

Use a simple Noise‑to‑Numbers scan: confirm bed/bath and finishes vs top 5 comps, set your listing to hit the next lower search bracket, swap in a bright, clean cover photo, and add a first‑line move‑in credit with a clear deadline.

Quote from @Jeff Mooney: Hey BP,I’m in talks with a potential seller who owns a 3 bed / 2 bath single-family rental.

In this case, you were right that this is unappealing; however, you missed that $1800 is very low rent for this submarket on a 3-bed unit.

I have even purchased more in the past couple months at great prices.