I have 5+ buy and hold properties,  i have limited cash right now for another down payment, my debt to income ration hits almost the limit.

@Brody VeilleuxHouse hacking and BRRRR (Build, Refinance, Resell, Reinvest) strategies are effective for property acquisition, but they carry risks like delayed refinancing, increased debt, and property management complexity.

She didn't pay rent the last 3 months, plus I paid all the lawyer fees. do I hire a debt collection service to follow them until I get my money back? 

You still need to get the debt and equity but once you're open / finished with construction you can get grants to reimburse you. 500K-2M is typical for projects like yours.

We are currently paying down most of our bad debt to put us on a better position to buy, and gaining more knowledge in the process.

I even put the rent in a way to accommodate the headache, and just went back to market-based and eliminated the STR route for two of them.

DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loans are a popular option for investors because they come with several key benefits that set them apart from traditional loans.

For example, I am a little concerned about some aspects of the business cycle recovery and a potential for a double-dip so I lean toward the safest part of capital stack which is debt (or low-debt equity).

so you've eliminated a HUGE pool of renters. 

I am married, and my wife does not want to have anything to do with acquiring more debt or me being in another mortgage and I live in Arizona a community property state.