Unless you are incredibly confident in your reno assumptions, I'd recommend getting a contractor out there ASAP to give you an accurate reno estimate if you want to go that path.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Property needs some fixing, but I think has potential (especially in our highly inflated housing market).

What strategies do you use to connect with private lenders willing to fund high-risk real estate investments?

I would recommend them.

I recommend to all my property management clients to institute RUBS/Sense etc, there's really great tools nowadays to put systems in place to measure these items, be it water or electric. 

That's why I don't generally recommend it.

You need to let the tenant know this and that an eviction can affect their standing with the housing program.Since you did not know this basic thing, I would really recommend getting a property manager and watching how they manage until you have a better sense of how to operate.

If it is in a highly desirable STR area (the beaches, Riverside etc) it may be beneficial to sell it furnished.

For example, $5k in turnover costs seems very high to me.