I've read that hiring a private insurance adjuster can be a good idea, and that I should ask the insurance to provide for housing/hotel, as well as keep all receipts for eating out since we don't have a kitchen anymore.Any info & advice will be greatly appreciated!

You can not have your cake and eat it too.

This is sort of dead money because I am now paying a pref return on this money even though it's not being put to work on a count of I can only renovate units as they turn over.The other options are to renovate units with the property cash flow which seems like the wrong way to go about it - and that still doesn't alleviate the problem of property renovations eating into CoC returns though it solves the problem of "dead money".The last solution I can think of is to raise the money year by year as you need it which presents other problems.

@Luis Vaca, big names could eat into profits. 

Just a few things I did to help me save (and they added up):- Cut out the cable and use wifi/Netflix - Make coffee at home - Stop eating out, only making it a special occasion here and there- Stop buying unnecessary clothes - Switched from a 35$ a month gym to a $10 a month gym- Cut out "snacks" when grocery shopping- Quit smoking cigarettes - Be mindful of utilities, shut off lights at night, don't leave them on- And most importantly, stay busy.

Even with 65 k as down payment mortgage and taxes and maintenance fees will eat up most of my salary with condo prices at around 400 k for a one bedroom.

Even if you are successful, lawsuits take time and if you are waiting for the money to finish the project the carry cost will eat you up.

I love running, eating and playing the piano.

You might find that this ends up eating all the cash flow too. 

They really eat into your returns.