Starting with a duplex is how a lot of investors build wealth — you live in one side, let the other help pay the mortgage, and still keep a safety cushion from your savings.

For example, if you purchased in pigeon forge a dozen years ago, you would have experienced a decade of double digit annual appreciation prior to the last couple/few years being flattish.  

Digital lease signing and tenant screening4.

My tenants are often female, and they usually prefer being on the second floor for additional privacy and safety concerns.

@Andrew Foster some decent advice here, but also some feedback from those who really don't have enough info to support their perspective.Many DIY investors price repairs on materials only and forget about labor as they do their own work.We're a PMC in Metro Detroit, but here's how our process would work:1) MoveOut Video & Pics used to create Scope Of Work (SOW)2) SOW broken down into Priority Categories:- Health & Safety- Government Required (municipality/S8 inspection requirements)- Property Preservation- Marketing Impact / Tenant Retention- Miscellaneous3) Bids obtained if we feel work will exceed Owner Approval Threshold4) Bid sent & discussed with owner to, "redline to their budget"5) Work begins once owner approves & funds6) Completion video/pics providedOf course, while this is going on our Marketing Dept would be doing a rental analysis & ad, and discussing with owner.

But please for the love of all that is good, plan your exit strategy with their property management, because that has been a giant dud for me and do not see it getting any better should they continue the hands-off, digital approach to placing & managing tenants.

Because depreciation recapture will be ugly for you especially.But with a loan that is still 1.5% lower than anything you'll see in the market in the short term I would think long and hard about selling or paying off the loan.Why not take the $265K and either1. put it into a HYSA if security and safety are an issue. 

If you do it right, it’s arguably the best market to invest.Purchase: $80k-$130kRent: $1100-$1500 (no rent control in MI)1% rule: .9%-1.4% rule dealsCoc ROI: 4-12%Total ROI: 20-40%Cash flow: $50-$250/door (after all expenses and budgeting for maint, capex, vacancy)Appreciation: 3-10%+ (has been double digit for a decade)Location: C+, B-These numbers are based on the “sweet spot” in Metro Detroit.

Rule of thumb: if life-safety, code, or permits are involved, hire the contractor; if it’s cosmetics to get rent-ready fast, a reliable handyman is fine.

Section 8 doesn’t technically require a closet for a room to qualify as a bedroom, it’s more about meeting local building codes and safety standards like proper egress (a window big enough for escape) and a door for privacy.