There is no exact answer here; it really depends on your plans going forward P. Duplexes are a great idea in concept but they can be scary as well. Lots of defaults right now because it's tough to judge who is renting the other side. Very hard to get fixed rates on duplexes as well since the comparables are very very limited. And maybe this is me...but IMO a lot of chicks don't like duplexes at

As for that marriage thing, don't do that for the money unless you are smart enough to fall for a rich sugar mama For the guy who is cost effective and trying to get ahead, it's VERY hard to find a gal who has the same fiscal values. Chicks can often make the whole money process harder