Having said that, since you're a newbie my strong suggestion is to go thru a professional initially.  

I imagine it can be tricky without face-to-face interaction, but it sounds like you’ve got a solid approach.Honestly, I don't have a process for establishing trust with sellers other than being polite and professional.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

More than standard among design professionals- Architects and Engineers. 

If you have a perfect closing and first 3 months your dreaming Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Get some professional photos.

@Scott VaethIf you live in part of the home and rent out rooms, you might be able to keep the lower 4% owner-occupied rate.Instead of a long-term rental that barely covers half the mortgage, could you do a rent-by-the-room model or target traveling professionals to increase cash flow?

Just recently listened to a podcast on mid-term rentals specifically for traveling nurses but could also include corporate professionals or large-scale construction project workers.

We also got them to have it professionally cleaned, ducts cleaned, they threw in some furniture for free, paid a lot of the closing costs that buyer usually pays, paid most recent mill levy instead of prior years taxes, paid my 2.8% commission, etc. because it is a buyers market and that's what you can negotiate in a buyer's market. 

Second, working with a local real estate professional who has experience and expertise in the Phoenix market can be helpful in navigating the current market conditions.