Housing is apparently a human right that's owed from the owner to the renter.

Do I just have to go by the actual numbers like revenue from last owner and taxes?

Look for a PM is also an investor/owner in your market. 

And if a property is owner occupied, how can you secure a loan with a hard money lender not being able to view the home to estimate repairs?

My idea is to get an apartment and make sure it’s okay with the owner to rent it out as an Airbnb.

You can add different ways to reach out to improve your conversion for owners you are hitting or you can increase the amount you are sending. 

Maintenance at at PM company or one of the big hedge owners like AH4R, leasing at apartment complex will teach you a lot about applications, fraud, leases, collections, evictions. 

@Nicholas A. your shotgun approach has a high probability of getting the exact quality you put into it.95%+ of real estate agent, many of them posting they are "investor-friendly", only know how to deal with owner-occupied transactions. 

I currently manage a portfolio of 17 STRs, some are mine, but a majority for other owners.

I tracked the owner down and approached him at his Jewelry store.