The saving grace of this home, all the natural woodwork was kept in remarkable condition AND since the home is in the flight path of the airport, 5 years ago Mitchell International came in and replaced all the windows, exterior doors, installed 2 new furnaces, 2 new central air units, basement dehumidifiers, and water heaters. 

If your job is uncertain, you should see if there is any provision that will allow you out for something of that nature. 

Do you know of any cheaper alternatives?

Is there a way to properly present an alternative product and request that it be added to the list of "approved" surfaces?

Be persistent and polite and continue to engage with the inspections department to try to get an idea of when they will be able to inspect, or an alternative way to seek their approval to close up!

Apts are still the best-looking CRE compared to alternatives (excepting maybe leased out industrial).

Are there any alternatives to keeping it in a bank?

I would love some advice from the BP community on whether going in on this with a conventional loan is an okay play, or if there are far better alternatives (hard money maybe?)

Also called an AITD or All Inclusive Trust Deed; the buyer is using the "wrap" loan to make payments to the seller, who in turn continues paying on his original loan while deeding the property to the buyer; the original lender must agree to waive the "due on sale" provision in the original loan; can be an alternative when seller financing won't work because of the seller's loan on the property; original lender may grant permission for a "wrap" to be created; the buyer may qualify to assume the original loan; getting permission to "wrap" from lenders is not easy; there is a temptation for buyers and sellers to create undisclosed wrap agreements; lenders may commission ongoing research of title records looking for undisclosed liens; if discovered, the original lender can foreclose on the seller and the buyer would lose everything, including their down payment.

@Nick Seginowich. https://fordbergner.com/legal-practice-areas/texas-probate/alternatives/Check this out.