In Columbia, finding a small multi-family property that makes sense numbers-wise can be difficult, but not impossible (low supply).

D)  The street address number for the subject property wasn't supplied even after I purchased the lead. 

Forget the opinions, look at the supply and demand in your area.

The brokerage uses this to pay for lots of stuff office supplies, CRM, insurance, marketing, etc..

However, the fam member installing them for me is only a licensed HVAC contractor in FL so he's been unable to buy the units at the regular retailers that would regularly sell it to him (like Bryant, Johnstone Supply, etc).  

Too expensive, too much multifamily supply as @Scott Trench mentioned.

As far as STR goes, you can house hack the property that you first buy (in a single family home or in your unit of a multifamily property) and potentially do short term rentals in all of the other units or in your exiting property.STR as a way to invest is getting more challenging currently as supply of new STR inventory has been outpacing the demand for STRs.

If you where going to be able to recreate the orginal layout, you would of been able to do so by the clues left behind by remaining framing, be it the "honey" holes where the toliets once where, the sizes of the holes in the joist would indicate what pipes ran where be it hot and cold supply, toliets, showers and other industry standard tell tale clues. 

Those funds are valid if you supply the note and mortgage/D.O.T. 

@Philip Hong I love this product type, it's in short supply nationwide.