I've found no investable thesis during this time--my plan was and still is to watch it crumble from the sidelines and then get back in after a bottom has been somewhat defined.A little over a year before the market collapsed I started selling--and during that time I sold 3/4 of my portfolio. 

An appraiser likely isn't going to spend time giving you much feedback in advance (unless you have a connection or they are super slow).   

Under this rule, if you spend at least 100 hours on the property and no one else exceeds your time spent, you can qualify as materially participating.

It’s also unclear if they plan to order another appraisal.

If it wasn't housing, food, or transportation, I didn't spend money on it. 

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies who spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

before you spend another PMCs time. 

You definitely wont get an app like that for free, so how much would you be willing to pay to a company to submit it for you, vs spending 10 minutes once a month to submit taxes? 

i think you can be successful if you are willing to do what you alluded to, which is spend time in person in your chosen market. 

They found it out, andI had to go to the planning board and zoning board, hire an engineer and architect to make the fourth unit legal.In my opinion, the realtor should have verified the zoning, and if you used bank financing, it's pretty rare for the bank to miss it as well.You are probably going to have to hire an architect to draw plans and to get it approved as a triplex.I wish you luck.