These are being issued by local "nonprofits" who are mass emailing landlords pretending to be section 8 tenants.

1st, I’ve had the Trust package quoted by a local attorney for $1700 in the past.

It's usually best to talk with your neighbors about your plans and get their support as one of the variance tests is that the requested relief does not cause a public health issue or alter the essential character of the neighborhood.Try googling "tests for a variance in [your state]" and talk with your local zoning department.

I think the important takeaway is that you need to know what's going on in your local market.

Your property taxes will also be higher as you can't use the home owner's grant.There might be local RE meet ups in Vancouver area where you can go and listen to what others have to say. 

You could also consider house hacking locally.  

@Loren Souers I take it "OMNI" is a local credit union?

Find the best local real estate investor meetups that have no pitches and you will increase your knowledge, camaraderie, and motivation ten-fold.

What they pass on other local bank might pick up but their terms are not usually as good.

Networking with local real estate investor groups can also help identify lenders active in your area.