If the property is in an area near a hospital/military base/refinery/university/etc...you could furnish some units really nice and list them on furnishedfinder.com and do medium term rentals. 

And in Chico, is a great buy-and-hold strategy with the University being in town.

It’s home to the state’s largest university, several big tourist destinations (mountain biking, art museums, lake), and large growing corporations (Walmart, Tysons).

It is conveniently located next to a state university and the train to Boston is in walking distance.​

• Total universe: 348,044 real estate properties• Zoning types: 34• Zip codes: 49• 41% of total properties: Investor owned• 70% of all properties: Single-Family homes• 30% of single-family homes: Investor owned

However, I'm afraid that's not universally appealing enough. 

I have a really good opportunity to scale into student housing in a university town so I would appreciate some suggestions on financing possibilities, little money down is even better but 20% is fine

YouTube university can teach anybody how to become a general contractor, a plumber, an electrician, etc.  

Near the university and downtown.

This asset is located proximate to a major hospital system as well as a large university.