We suggested they start a business and buy through the business name but aren't sure about that either. 

Thanks for the suggestion.

looking to meet others involved in the Green Healthy home certification process I see i can get up to $6300 per multi Family property reimbursed to be Green Heathy Home certified and know Rents are higher in certified buildings. spending a little to improve properties seems to generate  30%  Instant appreciation  so let's meet up it's time to rebuild. connect and suggest times to meet or just Zoom? 

So, I would suggest to get with a realtor to help you find the specific neighborhoods that might fit your needs.  

I strongly suggest you create an LLC for each investment property you have that way if the loan goes sideways and they have to foreclose, they can only go after the specific asset and not your whole portfolio. 

Any suggestions on what direction to take? 

Two things I'd suggest is to keep house hacking and dollar cost averaging. 

With different rental approaches such as Mid-term (or month to month), we also frequently adjust and re-evaluate pricing in the off-season or winter months as needed in order to get a unit filled and avoid long-standing vacancies.Depending on your focused market, I can recommend a solid investor-focused lender that may be a good fit to strategize on how to get you into your next property. 

I agree with Bill's suggestion regarding requesting tax returns and bank statements.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated!