That will help with DTI.Put a pdf-package together with your financials, summary on the first page, shop it around, should not take you long.

I clean all shared areas of the home, cook occasional meals for guests, lawncare, maintenance, and shop for them (consistently provide milk, bread, basics etc)?

It's a block-by-block play that in my opinion & requires a visit so you can determine where you feel comfortable and also to ensure that you situate yourself where shopping (grocery shopping) is closely available. 

Can I shop for title insurance later when I refinance?

This is where municipalities really cause problems for tenants trying to make it safer but having bottlenecks in the approvals.

This type of financing will typically look very different and more like a traditional commercial real estate loan.That means a DSCR calculated based on a full NOI and expense load (so inclusive of vacancy loss estimates, credit loss estimates, repairs and maintenance, utilities, management fees and more – in addition to the property taxes and insurance expense that are the only expenses factored in on traditional residential style DSCR loan financing).Additionally, the DSCR minimums are generally going to be higher (typically up to 1.25x), the loan to value ratios lower (higher down payments) and underwrite more sophisticated (which makes sense considering the size and scope of the property).Many multifamily investors for properties of this size (such as more than 11 units) can syndicate capital and have more sophisticated financial and entity structures – its definitely a different world once you get up here in unit count.In Conclusion – when you are looking to invest in multifamily real estate and finance your investment – make sure you have the unit count in mind before you start shopping – the unit range can have a huge effect on your options.

She likes to shop there... not for shoes, but for houses.

To warehouse or industrial maybe yes, if we read Blackrock CEO comment they are moving to the same trajectory as well, so they only want to move to safer asset class like industrial/warehouse or just become the lender. 

The requirement to accept Section 8 does not mean you have to accept his lease violations.I suspect he shopped around and realized he couldn't afford anything else, so he's desperately trying to stay.

Paying off all the mortgages is a slower way, it's also safer.