Maybe you could compromise by finding a property that you can live in comfortably but also has rental potential (like a duplex).

As you keep learning, you'll get more comfortable with the numbers and figure out which strategy works best for you both.

This very comforting device alerts you if the noise level is above a threshold. 

It really comes down to what you are comfortable with.

It’s crucial for me to achieve a favorable appraisal, as my estimates place me comfortably below 80% loan-to-value.

Change it to "only buy deals that will comfortably yield X% return".  

Get out of your comfort zone.

Ultimately, Lawton could be appealing to cash-flow-focused investors comfortable with high-risk, high-reward environments and looking to leverage a reliable rental base tied to Fort Sill.

If you can show / prove to him that the park will be worth more because you are rebuilding the bathhouse, paving the roads and adding a playground then maybe he will feel more comfortable? 

I've only experienced this on the buy-side of multifamily acquisitions, but have been involved in transactions where the lender requires a CofO and they have gotten comfortable with just the I-card, when there is no CofO for the property.