The costs could be justified if the rental performs well (a little less profit short term, for longer term appreciation gains and with little to no effort on my part).

Like many (most) small business owners especially in this high interest rate environment, we have to use make extensive use of our personal credit rather than using extremely expensive business credit.

Prior to purchasing a zombie property/foreclosure, you will need to perform a title search to understand what liens are attached to the property and owner.

While every IRA must have a custodian creating a special purpose LLC can allow you to bypass the custodian when making investments and performing transactions which can save time and money. 

I need the asset to perform 365 days of the year, so I am exploring medium term- 1 month medium stays.

I' had confidence in my ability to perform.the seller needs Confidence in Your performance to reduce their risk. 

In single family real estate you do this by choosing an investment that will perform and then using insurance to protect it.  

Once you have a shortlist, sign up for an account with each one and test them extensively to see how they function.

Typically we see a non refundable deposit and extension fees to keep the property tied up.

Make this your measurable goal that you track with your daily activity each day .. aka Key Performance indicators or KPIs.