They should tell the tenant utilities are scheduled to be turned off on X day and they had confirmed they'd be out by then, so they need to move now and find alternate accommodations. 

If you have any questions or want to discuss funding alternatives, feel free to reach out!

Alternatively, you could pursue a hard money loan for rental financing which wouldn't require certain rental income to qualify. 

I was just trying to find alternate ways to verify their info.

As an alternative, you can also look for a private lender.

I would also be weary of the alternative lenders who provided your pre approvals without the equity source lined up.

But since this is off the beaten track, it is not straightforward finding alternative brokers or agents to help.So if you are a broker or agent that has some experience with this, or know of one, I am interested in discussing, or in getting a lead/some contact details.

Leveraging other peoples money allows you to scale you much faster and safer. 

I have been pondering alternative ways to fund my first investment property. 

Alternatively, buying a Midwest property and house-hacking a duplex in Albany gives you two properties but may involve more management complexity.Waiting a year to build more equity while keeping your cash flow intact is the safer option, but you risk missing current opportunities.