The biggest problem a new investor has is buying there first property or pulling the trigger.

Hard money might be an option but it may be wise to fix the problem a head of time.  

I work with different investors that are not from Cental Florida area but have the desire to invest here .. they have the same problem as you and you wife along with many others who want to invest somewhere they are not that familer with .. its certainly hard to trust a realtor you have never met .. not saying that realtor's are dishonest ..

Investors rightfully look at an investment problem as a simple math problem with no emotion, but they often forget that logic exits the equation when emotional attachment is involved.

Actually that's NOT the only problem.  A

If an Owner wants to ignore my recommendations and call the shots, I have no problem as long as they understand who is responsible for the outcome. 

Your husband has found an excellent solution to this problem.  A

You could do a cash out refi with a DSCR loan, then the LLC would not be a problem. A

That’s not a problem as long as you can close.

If I could find someone who would go by my paystubs instead of my taxes I would have no problem. As