A property manager that can assist with rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance, and run an online ledger for us to track expenses.

You can find both and you can reduce the commission but you may need to do more work.More specific on your questions about price, that is also negotiable.

If the market rents do not cover the mortgage, you may do a no ratio DSCR for a higher rate/reduced LTV  Which most likely the 1007 will be nowhere near the revenue generated by a PadSplit operation.

They are much less restrictive than other municipalities in South Florida that are actively trying to reduce the number of STRs.Let me know if you'd like to talk further on the topic! 

In my opinion, it is better to get a property rented quickly (even if it means reduced rent) than it is to get it rented for the highest amount possible. 

2.Are there strategies to reduce the required down payment or secure better mortgage terms?

You'll likely also reduce your cost of living by moving to a stabilized apartment.Depending on the cashflow and debt paydown, you can use this strategy until you've built enough equity to reinvest.On the other hand, getting into a multi-family after refinancing will also help you build substantial equity to rinse and repeat in the coming years.

Yes, operations is a big part of that, especially for anyone that wants to be a business for the long-term.If I were you, I would be talking to office brokers about partnering more than an online forum.   

The builder refuses to send them to you.They state they are 'restricted' or send the type of layout you see online, just boxes, nothing the designer can use.

Diversifying your portfolio could reduce risk and improve overall returns.Higher Cash Flow Potential: If you redeploy the equity into markets with higher cash-on-cash returns, you could significantly increase your monthly cash flow.