Ideally, I would find a halfway decent deal on a multifamily so that I could house hack.

Once you start getting into some more transitional areas, your ideal 2% may be attainable. 

Ideally, we would need certain data points from you guys, like a zip code and what type of terms your borrower is looking for, etc. 

Since this would be our first property we'd ideally like to purchase a home that would only need cosmetic fixes, so that we can keep it fully occupied with tenants.

Money Partner agreement seems ideal or as previously mentioned above, do it yourself and get the experience and work with people you trust. - If you can't find private money, while it's not the best option, you can try HMLs where I've seen they cover 95% purchase price and 100% rehab costs.

Ideally I would want to stay away from any additional encumbrances tied up in the property in addition to mortgages.

How do I deal with the agent?

. $50,000-$75,000 is ideal in my market!  

You may be putting this in an upstairs section so it wouldn't be ideal, but something that may help.

Ideally you would find a company that has everything under one roof.