I have actually been floating in the background on this site and others for some time doing as much research as I can.

(A little background and personal info/story)I am a very compassionate person and what happened and still is going on right now, really scares me, like everyone else.

That route would put me out of the game altogether.With this background now set,i mean to ask:if you were in my position,how would you proceed to structure a no-money down in this instance?

Just so you know, the basic requirements for the property include income of 3x the rent, good previous landlord recommendations and a favorable background and credit report.

It's time to start once you have saved enough to comfortably put 20% down, have enough reserves that you can handle a major repair + 6 months house payment, have researched local landlord laws and rules, have a good idea about what paperwork you will need and have it ready (lease, move-in checklist, background check, etc...), and you've done your research so you know what a good deal looks like.Then the hardest part!

Just a quick background.

The books mentioned are solid for a good basic background.

Somewhere they have tables for expected/allowable utility costs you can consider when doing this calculation.Yes,  this does mean there are scenarios whereby it is possible that you can be in a situation where you cannot verify ANY cash income at all or the income you are verifying may come from a flaky deadbeat former spouse who you cannot run further background checks against.  

Outside of a finance background, investment books, and manypodcasts, I am new to real estate.

Most of the (successful) people I meet or talk to so far either had a mentor or have some pretty decent background in either construction, real estate, etc before they jump into this.