I have never financed anything with commercial space, and know it adds a layer of complications, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately there the space is leased.

and seating so buyers can imagine how they might live in the space.

But on this specific guy, I jumped on a call to explore the program and it was a high pressure sales call, it did not feel organic, not trustworthy and certainly did not feel the right fit.Why would someone spend 10k on a so niched-down space of real estate when they can get someone for the same amount to teach him/her everything?  

Consequently it's not accessible to most investors who are skip tracing fewer than 100k searches a month.

Allowing pets, including the dogs nobody wants (excluding pitbulls, unless your landlord policy specifically covers them), will give you access to qualified tenants that otherwise can't find places that allow them. 

People want more space... there is no 'elbow room' in the boroughs! 

The only way I can access is money is through my primary residence and doing a HELOC.

A popular Excel template is Vertex42 as it automatically includes spaces for property details, rental incomes, expenses, and a summarizing sheet.

Wish you luck in this space!