The good news - there are plenty of family-friendly neighborhoods between St Paul and S Mpls which offer decent opportunities for a househacker - you just need to know where to look, what to avoid, and where the opportunities are (undervalued properties, under rented units, value-add opportunities).

How about when your competition is using bathroom sinks that are the ones that bowls ON the counter instead of in the counter?

I've contacted 8 insurance companies/brokers and no one offers policies (issue being the subleasing).

Regarding your offer, your agent should guide you on how much to make it.

After replying to a couple of comments and really thinking about it, it's clear we offer much more value than Evolve.  

Not many lookers and barely any offers.

If they are not licensed, they cannot originate Conventional loans and are only able to offer commercial loans. 

Leveraging out-of-state turnkey rental properties could be another time-efficient path, offering stable cash flow and potential appreciation.

They offer interest-only loans, don't charge for appraisals unless the deal actually closes, and have great customer service (they actually close on time unlike some of the lenders my clients have chosen against my advice over the years who ask for my time for underwriting the day before closing).

Factors like real estate trends, property taxes, and competition also play a role.