I know this is not ideal but I am sure there is a way to manage it especially If I can house hack a multi family building.I am also open to any meetups in the STL area since that is my local market.

It’s less than ideal now but at least we are getting full rent each month. thanks for asking!  

The bulk of long-term returns (often, ideally) come from capital appreciation - not necessarily the rent roll.

This would be ideal on a duplex, triplex or quad so you can live in one of the units while the others are rented. 

The rate might not be ideal, but securing the property now is crucial—you can always refinance later for better terms.

When proposing a deal to potential investors, how many investors is ideal to say fund a $500,000 duplex intended for buy and hold? 

Ideally something that is on web/app that'll allow me to keep track of different items come tax time. 

However, HOA fees can be high & eat into the profits, and rental restrictions aren't ideal.

Ideally the rent from the other three units will cover most of your living expenses (ie 'rent') for your own unit while you are living there.

I would try and have 10% as the bare minimum for reserves but 15-20% is ideal. 15-20% of 200K is 30-40K so plenty of $$ if something comes up, you never know.