You maybe able to establish a stronger equity position by using hard money first.

Is my offer stronger stating due diligence performed by a calendar date (2/22) or by the number of days following the bank's acceptance of my offer?

That makes your offer stronger, because there are no contingencies related to the loan.

One is to partner with someone who has a stronger personal balance sheet than you, who is willing to sign on the debt with you.  

The one thing I remember in the TX market during the downturn was that the rental market was STRONGER because so many people were losing their homes.

I know these guys just have a stronger network than I do, and probably more money (for now), but I think with BiggerPockets on my side, I should be able to get in the game.

So even if you pick a state with stronger protections like WY or NV, the cause of action arose in the state where the tenant fell, so likely that the court where the accident happened would have jurisdiction.

House hacking financials get significantly stronger as you increase the bed count above 4, or add a ADU or separate dwelling unit.2.

Many, many investors end up finding a stronger ROI through duplexing down or finishing the basement as an AirBnB unit or something similar instead of going for the full unit addition. 

Agreed on the personal guaranty - the lease and the value of the property (as an investment) becomes much stronger with it.