re: Duplex as Investment Property?

If it's for college kids, you want to have a safe place for them to live, and spend as little as possible. College kids like to trash things, so no use putting in expensive stuff just to have to replace every time you change tenants.

Given you are a contractor, this might be a great fit for you. You can do most of the work yourself and save a lot of money.

One thing I would look at is how property values have gone the last 5 years and what else is happening in the area.