Mainly my realtor as my boots on the ground checking the job done by the contractor, and my contractor who was doing the work.

Our main issue is that we are getting exhausted with people who say they're cash buyers and can't produce a POF.

I'm not sure what your main goal is or how big you want to scale but you probably won't have any type of set back up until you get passed 35-40 units or so.

I finally decided to close the doors mainly because the unit used was not available anymore, but also because the regulations got stricker and stricker over time.Now, if you want to use your 2-4 as an STR, you need to show proof that you are living in the unit you are renting by sharing a government-issued ID with that exact unit or your tax exemption form.If you have a building over 5 units, it's a bit easier but still challenging ( you can rent up to 25% of the units out for airbnb)...the few people I know that are successful are NOT the owners of the building, but more so the operator of the airbnb unit aka str arbitrage

It has been discussed in the main BP podcast as well as the Rookie show.

Wasn't that the main point of the post?

My concern is whether the city could deny permits for these modifications, such as removing walls or converting a garage, or if they are mainly just concerned with safety and habitability.

The main reason I purchase this property is because I was planning to house-hack.

So there is an element where you will either replace a mortgage. 

Mainly because so many of us on this website are significantly younger than retirement age.