I would base this on your numbers, not sellers (seller financials are one of the biggest jokes of this industry), and your return requirements.

If you have trouble showing income and the property is non owner occupied, you may qualify based on DSCR 

(option to go to 24, but I want the initial project to begin locally.)Location- OhioMarket type- Local, within 8 miles to meBuilds- Identical 2700sf, 4 bed, 3 bath , placing the same structure that meets the tenants criteria in 9 locations.Debt: Seeking a refinancing option  based on a 9% cap rateThe difference ( 450,000 x 9= 4,050,000    vs    NOI of $384,261 / 9% = 4,269,576 or $474k/property + tenant)with our continued rates of appreciation and a standardized tenant/lease structure in place, this should be a win for everyone.Who has a solution?

We then also have a team of “coaches” that will help make sense of the numbers and provide feedback based on the data we have seen from hundreds of other successful deals before.Rehab: Another resource we provide is inspection report and rehab bid reviews with our construction coaches.

Appreciation is based on the specific/immediate area of a specific property...not the state. 

BiggerPockets is an excellent site for networking with other investors and obtaining referrals for agents who are favorable to investors.Real estate Brokers: Seek out Cypress, Katy, and Sugar Land-based brokerages with a significant presence.

My advice (based on my own personal experience with investing in the Columbus, Ohio market) is to secure the asset even if it's not bringing in as much as you desire (within your finanial means of course) because today is the cheapest that property will ever be. 

2) As a partial year resident, do I just include the resident portion of taxable income in the base, rather than use the non-resident worksheet? 

I meant 10% down based on SD multi-family real estate prices.

Questions I'd have if I were in your shoes would be based around how the CAM expenses, management, taxes etc are going to work.