Pay the bill yourself, then reimburse yourself by charging the tenants based on a formula.

Maybe they've been burned by landlords in the past and are being very careful.You can legally reject them based on personality, facial tattoos, body odor, or other factors, but you better make sure you can prove that it wasn't based on any protected class like race, religion, familial status, etc.

If that leads to a more structured and education based meeting, then that is great - if it remains just a place to gather and bounce ideas and network, that's great too.

I wouldn’t subdivide based on your objectives.  1.  

It will only appraise based on comps of similar residential properties.

Typically its done for open space or use for community property (ie. fire station location or other county use) and typicaly would assist in increasing tax base.  

The value of the hotel is based off of how well it's being operated.My advice would be to get a job in the hotel industry.

So, based on that, you need to keep the security deposits separate from your own funds and also from each other.

This is the foundation of why LaPlante Real Estate is based in portfolio management and property management... my personal portfolio started in 2009 and I find the majority tends to be Section 8. 

The single biggest issue in my way currently is obtaining enough cash, whether it be my own, or through partnerships or family/friend-based lending (which I am very hesitant about to begin with as this could potentially strain relationships unnecessarily when money is involved).