We came across a beautiful 1 bed 2 bath for 355k, until we realized after the first showing that it's a duplex split between a basement and ground floor, where the toilets were flooded from hurricane sandy hence the new tile flooring.

It was my parents' suggestion that I should profit off of them selling their houses that got the ball rolling again on "should I get my RE license" but I didn't know if it'd be worth it (and to what degree) if in a year's time, I barely recouped the financial investment I made into just getting licensed/registered as an REA through the commissions of the houses, not including the time invested studying/testing/away from work and play.I know on the podcasts Josh jokes about Detroit, and seeing it first hand, I can see why as some of the pockets of the city are off-putting, but much like San Diego (from Oceanside all the way down to San Ysidro) there are surrounding areas that have piqued my interest, I just need to get boots on the ground once I'm there and see if these all pencil out. 

I work in the software business so I am well aware of the challenges when reaching out to 10 people for a job, 6 probably won't even respond, the other 3 will flake out at some point.I want to hit the ground running with a good team or a general contractor that is reliable and has good connections.1.

The majority of property managers charge additional fees for placing a new tenant or renewing the lease of an existing tenant, so you should make yourself aware of these and input them into your calculations.Your property manager is your eyes and ears on the ground so it is very important that you develop a good working relationship with them.

You will also need to determine if your lender or insurance provider requires a Phase I EA.In the end, be prepared to spend  $50 - $125/unit for a baseline inspection (the more units the lower the per-unit amount).If you are just looking for someone to be "boots-on-the-ground", find an experience multifamily investor or property manager (on BP) to be your eyes, or alternatively, jump on a plane.

I think most newbies would have and should have run in the other direction on this house as it had a lot of problems(I have a construction back ground so I was less scared). 

I am amazed at the number if people who want to fly jets before they've taken ground school, flight training or solo'd.Probate is a drawer full of tools that go into your larger tool chest.

You're not gaining any ground there.

Right now I'm trying to build from the ground up, building my seller and buyers list as well as gaining any experience I can in the field seems to be where I'm steering myself.So any words of knowledge, tips, pitfalls, people i should meet, anything is helpful!

Unless you are just buying the lot and building a house from the ground up.