I'm personally looking to start the exact same way as you with a multifamily house hack.It's great that you already have an idea of how much $ you qualify for so that you know what locations to start looking in.

A property qualifies as Homestead for this exemption if an eligible owner files a Principal Residence Exemption (PRE): https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/0,4676,7-238-43535_43539-210891--,00.html#:~:text=Section%20211.7cc%20and%20211.7,purposes%20up%20to%2018%20mills.Many investors have gotten an ugly surprise when they bought a property that was a primary residence of the seller for the last 20 years.

If you can do that, then you can qualify. 3.

I cannot qualify for traditional conventional for multiple reasons but the over 200 to 1 debt to income ratio is a primary reason.  

Rent out all units temporarily so you can qualify for a DSCR loan.

Get a great realtor who knows and understands what homes might qualify for FHA and which might not. 

If they're not familiar then it's your chance to get your foot in the door by bringing 1031 education to them.It's been a few years since I checked but at one time NAR showed statistics that of all the transactions potentially qualifying for 1031 exchanges, only about 10% were actually handled that way. 

Any of the above kills the STR loophole under this "substantially all work" option for material participation.Is there a way to qualify if all my outside help was a cleaning lady for 2 hours?

Scaling with Business Lines of CreditAs your business credit grows, you’ll qualify for larger funding opportunities such as:Business Lines of Credit (LOCs): Flexible borrowing for down payments, renovations, or operational expenses.Unsecured Business Loans: Access up to $250K or more without tying up personal assets.These financing tools allow you to scale faster while keeping personal credit utilization low.5.

Most DSCR lenders will require a minimum of 90 days seasoning to qualify for a cash out refinance on the new appraised value.