The plan is to live in it for a cpl years so right now I’m assuming my best bet is a tricky FHA 203k loan.

Even on most DSCR loans, you'll be looking at 20% down, so your best bet for low(er) down payment would be to utilize a BRRRR strategy with a rehab-focused bridge loan into a DSCR to get it stabilized and cash flowing.Be sure when you talk with potential lenders to make sure that they are licensed to operate in NY as well.

If you are going to be doing all the legwork, guaranteeing notes and have the expertise to execute and all you need is capital, one of the first two options might be your best bet.

However, it would seem as though the BP Pro is the best bet.   

They'll take pride in working for such a reputable brand, and you can bet they'll be fired up to achieve the company's goals. 

Go to meetups, tell your story, and I bet you'll find experienced investors that will help you out (by giving you advice, not by cutting you a check or partnering). 

There’s numbers on a piece of paper that put seller financing in a great light.And then there’s the reality of seller financing being a bet on the buyer managing and maintaining a property well for years or decades while you still have skin in the game.And a bet that the value doesn’t decline by more than the balance of the debt.And a bet that the higher “price” received because of seller financing doesn’t come with opportunity cost in the form of being able to spend or invest the liquidity day 1.And the fact that buyers with seller financing always want better terms than a bank would give them, which is real economics that sellers are far less equipped than banks to estimate risk/reward on.Seller financing is relatively rare.

And just like there are bad investors, bad Realtors, bad lenders and bad carpenters, there are bad appraisers.I'm betting this will not be the last comment in this thread, but to those who may follow, are you speaking from a standpoint of ego or indepth experience in doing appraisals and knowing what and when an appraiser wants it?

I personally wouldn't want to purchase bad assets, even if favorable creative financing was offered and I am confident I can accomplish more buying assets in a more traditional transaction than hunting down the unicorns.  

I really see Columbus Ohio as an extremely safe bet for the next 10-20 years.