You need to make sure that your property is easily financeable if you decide to sell it in the future and any future buyer can call out non-permitted items and actually report you to the building department or, at a minimum, ask for seller concessions.

"As public records, the contract forms adopted by the Texas Real Estate Commission are available to any person."

What’s the best way to determine if a lender specializes in conventional, commercial, hard money, non-QM, or DSCR loans?

Cash flow is mostly non-existent now, unless you find a great deal. 

You won't be forced to de-convert unless you have violations...eventually the city will start fining you.Very critical terms are non-conforming (no violations - grandfathered in) vs. illegal (violations)...

The tenant pools are great, as we are the State capital, we have two MAJOR hospitals, government jobs, large developments happening (out-of-state union workers), MSU, Lansing Community College, and so on. 

My background involves social work & non-profit management before getting into real estate.

Its a process and a government process at that so be prepared for that.

Commercial zoning would be okay as long as the property is considered LEGAL but non conforming. 

What Schedule can not do is contradict itself and it will always be over-ruled or governed by the LTB.