Market the unit as having a kitchen + wet bar (eg, selling the not-a-kitchen in the not-a-unit as a feature) and being some sort of "luxury penthouse apartment" or something.

The easiest way to do this outside of some sort of scraping tool (which i recommend digging into), is to develop a solid list of ways to look for deals (not just zillow or mls), and then develop a super specific buy box, then just create custom filters with notifications where applicable, you can also use a VA to look through the various acquisition methods and send you a vetted list every day. 

One of the worst conditions we've bought properties in recently.The seller’s sister reached out to us, desperate for help.

Kansas City, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and DetroitAnyone out there that does this sort of investing that the article is talking about, and successful at it.

AshleyNormal, however you have wide latitude in the actual agreement you agree to sign, how long, how much commission, that’s not to see individual agents have to agree to your terms, but if you feel uncomfortable with the terms you are free to negotiate or shop around, however an agent cannot legally show you a house without an signed agreement of some sort. 

I've actually advised several people about doing this sort of house hack.If you can find a way to close off the areas where you'd like to keep for yourself as storage, then this could work.  

This blows my mind.I'm curious what sorts of things require you to be at your property "in a pinch" that would require you to be closer than 45 minutes.I live 2,000+ miles from my 12-doors and I have never had an issue that couldn't be solved by picking up a phone.Heck, I don't think a local PM would even make it to your property in under 45 minutes if you "needed" them to.

Do you have a template of some sort so I can make a flow chart? 

Hopefully something better than just 'here's the stack of all the receipts for the year...you sort it out, Mr CPA'.

This probably seems attractive but at the same time if it stays unpermitted it can be head aches along the way and if i were to ever sell in future run into the same sort of problems.