Therefore, I have a hard time committing to a house hack which contributes greatly to my problem of raising capital for a conventional mortgage with a 20%+ down payment instead of alternatives such as an FHA. 

Obviously, there are other factors that can contribute to the cost.

Looking forward to developing and contributing to the local community of real estate investors. 

My question is - is it more advantageous to have me own the business entirely so that I can capitalize on the tax deductions & tax refunds so that I can in turn contribute more capital to purchase future properties together?  

I think what you're doing with your plan for your future is very smart and hope to contribute to your goals.

Steps 2 & 3 would be the main contributions of a Civil Engineer who is involved. 

I am extremely grateful to all who contributed to this thread. 

I saw it as a very valuable 3-day course that was well worth the $1000 I paid for.This was just my attempt at contributing back to the forum that benefited me earlier, take it with a grain of salt.  

A Ponzi Scheme is using new investor money contributions to capital to pay off old investors.  

If you have a significant turnover rate, then I guess I could see the appeal of remote showings, but I also suspect the lack of personal touch contributes to turnover.