Any MF of the quality and size (50 up) I would have been interested in would have been cash flow negative for the next 5 years or so, even with 30% down.

His material is poor quality and feels very scammy.

Streamline your communication process to secure quality tenants.Focus on QualityThe condition of your property matters more now than ever.

Are the units vintage quality with in-place rents $500/mo below current market?  

Not being on the ground makes it difficult to monitor progress and judge the quality of work.

Right now, I concern myself with the quality asset.

Quote from @Michael Smythe: @Zachary YoungRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Contractors, unless you have a working relationship with them, normally do not want you bouncing ideas off them.Understand what their hourly rate is, have a discussion with them that you are okay with paying them an hourly rate if they walk the property with you and provide you a scope of work along with an explanation of what you can/can't get away with in regards to improvements.ask them if you go with them, if they can credit you the amount that you paid.Once you develop a working relationship with a few contractors, you can bounce ideas off them and expect quality responses.I do not invest in New York.Best of luck. 

Some of the materials we choose and asked him to pick up (such as flooring) he replaced with low quality materials, I assume to keep more of our money for himself. 

The quality of answers to your are directly correlated to the quality of your questions asked.