It might be helpful to narrow down your options by focusing and researching for markets with strong rental demand, growing job markets, and property prices that fit within your budget.

She did an amazing job getting me the rental property financing I needed.

My sacrifice… no haircuts and no fast food. 1 job full time, 1 full time side hustle. 0 debt at the time other than student loans.

They stated that they were not a lawyer so they couldn't comment on the legalities of my question and they still worked for the bank so they couldn't give me any more info without losing their job but assured me that I was on the right track, keeping asking these questions and don't stop until you find your answer. 

Good job 4's are the way to go! 

There's a decent chance that if you have good credit and improve your DTI over the next year, you can put a Heloc on the property while it's still your primary to unlock some of that equity if needed.

Not nearly enough for a gut job or to cherry it out.

This type of loan can be a great short-term solution to help you acquire and improve the property before refinancing into a long-term loan or selling it for profit.

I recognize there are other ways I could invest this cash (including another property) but I am being mindful of levering myself out too much in the current environment where job losses are more common in my industry (tech).

Columbus also has great macroeconomics - lots of job growth, population growth, and major employers developing here.