We also own the building next door so idea would be to relocate the tenants to that building after building it out.  

Other than the ideas above, some of the other ways you can screen- is via communication.

You should talk with lenders to get an idea of what you can actually afford though it doesn't really matter if you talk with an agent first since most agents will have lender recommendations.

Before this purchase, I had two other properties under contract but had to withdraw due to unfavorable inspection results.

I really like the idea of starting with my existing network and attending local meetups.

I am playing with a lot of ideas and would love to hear as many opinions as possible.

Neat idea...I hope you can make it work. 

We don't know whether a presidential idea will be implemented at all.

Is this a terrible idea?

New Jersey is a great place to invest especially if you are open minded to the idea of house hacking.