I also don’t want to exclude potentially the best contractor in the area and one who might go over the top to ensure that we get the best of everything since he has a unique relationship with our family (there are not a large number of recommended contractors in our area).

Since land is excluded from the depreciation value anyway, if I pay 300k for a townhome with .3 acre lot vs 340k on a .15 acre lot, the schedule shouldn't matter too much or am I missing some key components?

Payments that you make normally fall into one of 3 buckets100% of the payment can be factored in somewhere on the returnPartial payment can be factored somewhere on the return0% of the payment can be factored in somewhere on the returnHouse-hacking also has considerable tax implications in the event that you want to sell this property.You can potentially defer a portion or all of the gain on the investment property with 1031 exclusion.You can potentially exclude a portion or all of the gain on the personal residence with section 121 exclusion

I recommend excluding any city on this list because they are unlikely to get new jobs or grow in population.Appreciation - Unless properties consistently appreciate at or above the rate of inflation, your actual income is declining over time.

I can see the new norm will be working from home which may impact retail excluding grocery stores though I'm seeing groceries being ordered offline these days.

Payments that you make normally fall into one of 3 buckets100% of the payment can be factored in somewhere on the returnPartial payment can be factored somewhere on the return0% of the payment can be factored in somewhere on the returnHouse-hacking also has considerable tax implications in the event that you want to sell this property.You can potentially defer a portion or all of the gain on the investment property with 1031 exclusion.You can potentially exclude a portion or all of the gain on the personal residence with section 121 exclusionThe answer to your $10,000 question is it depends on if the unit is in service and what the breakdown of the $10,000 is(repair vs improvement) and if there is any safe harbor/election to currently expense the items.

I'm learning that many people in DC are attached to their pets and excluding this group really eliminates a large number of potential applicants. 

(3) Any assumptions I'm missing/wrong on my analysis (excluding utilities and HOA)?

Here how the tax benefits work out in summary (taken from above website)Reinvested capital gains are deferred from taxation until exit from a Qualified Opportunity Fund or December 31, 2026, whichever comes first.The original capital gains reinvested in Qualified Opportunity Fund investments held for the long term receive a reduction in capital gains tax liability, discounted by 10% at the 5-year mark and by an additional 5% at the 7-year mark.Any new gains from Qualified Opportunity Fund investments held for at least 10 years are permanently excluded from the capital gains tax.

I looked this question up a month ago and looked at our commercial insurance agreement, pandemics/disruptions from viruses are specifically excluded.