Just remember: most negative reviews are written by problematic tenants.

The 401k I used to have said if I default it didn't negatively affect my credit, but that it would become a taxable event like a withdrawal (come tax season) and I would have to pay penalties for the amount I had remaining. 

This implies mls purchases have initial negative cash flow that is about the same as the rent

However, if the net negative cash flow is less that the rent you are paying, it's still a win.

Even before when rates were low class A/B in desirable areas sold at negative cashflow and the buyers made a killing over time from appreciation and rent growth.

LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit) development is also an interesting concept, I'll have to do some research on that.Meeting like-minded professionals through meetups and REIA groups is a fantastic tip.

As far as the refinance loan, I am honestly quite confused about this concept.

literally zero debt and the only negative items on it are some late payments to a CC (just didnt have autopayment on, it's like $23 dings here and there). 

It's also not rented yet so there is no income to DSCR, the tenant would need to be in place or at least moving in prior to closing.That doesn't mean you couldn't get a negative DSCR loan or bridge option, there are many options.

The only “negative” about them, imo, is that almost all the focus is on residential, or if commercial then apartments.