It sounds like you're in a solid position, and taking the time to stabilize before moving on to the next deal is a smart approach.

The FHA loan allows for a lower down payment, which is a fantastic advantage!

No apologies needed for the tough love.   

The biggest reason I would advocate for mixed use is for the reasons you mentioned, the leases are longer, but also the general "issues" around tenants on the residential side don't come into play as much or at all. 

Personally if you are looking to grow in real estate going the traditional method/way of getting good properties under agreement with traditional financing will get you to where you want to go faster than trying to find all the needles in a haystack.

We just ran the new build comps for our market in Columbus Ohio and saw a pricing premium of more than 40% in the urban core for infill work.

It generally refers to removing the tenant from the home while a lease is in place.

i found in my build projects that started just before and continued through the pandemic prices rose. everything but lumber became sticky IE they rose but did not fall..

Have a conversation with a CPA to see if you will benefit from the cost segregation before getting it done.

This is a super important question and it doesn't just apply to lenders.