I'm a member of one local STR page that vets owners by requiring they see a utility bill with the address and the owner's name.

There should be other options, however with an LLC and fourplex - yes, DSCR is by far most likely to be your best option unless you do the heavy lifting with local banks and credit unions (and these are increasingly not great options for this type of stuff as they move painfully slow and are under lots of regulations and restrictions)2) I haven't yet reached out local banks, but seeing the quotes from brokers makes me wondering if Banks may be better? 

Inspection Costs - $400 Lender Fees - $1,000 Closing Costs - $2,000 Mortgage Payments - $2,500 Property Taxes - $600 Utilities - $1,000 Insurance - $200 Commissions - $4,000 Selling Closing Costs - $4,000 Home Warranty - $500 Termite Letter - $100 MLS Fees - $100 

The one percent and 2 percent rule ive never looked at ... cap rate is .. meh .. its there - what im most concerned with is the price of the home relative to comparables and cash on cash to start.   9)  I look  the other way if it is a multi unit that is not separately metered - thats always one of my criteria here in pgh as there are a lot of older homes and a good portion you wind up worrying about who will cover utilities.  

UTILITIES: Water and sewer service and curbside trash removal are provided to you.

While I don’t suggest that the smaller type investor purchase and utilize “exotic” vehicles like foreign asset protection trusts, family limited partnerships with outside controls, or Byzantine or convoluted maze of ownership entities, the more simple strategies of using Series LLCs, self directed retirement plans, and paying off their home mortgage to the extent of the Federal BK homestead exemptions can insure that a plaintiff attorney never even considers going after them.  

@Justin Woods In order to utilize a cost segregation study, the property must be an investment property and placed in service.

Just because the cost of the utility is included, doesn't mean you can control if it works or doesn't work.

Instead, can you just cover the utilities or go to the laundromat.

We do not have serious floods, tornados, heavy snow and rain, frequent major hailstorms, big earthquakes, or extreme weather conditions.