I understand that having confidence is key and that I have to have thick skin to persevere through all the no's and going for a period of time without getting paidbut I know I can do it.

His main concern with having no "skin in the game" is if I fail to perform and don't pay him for up to 6 months before a hypothetical foreclosure or him taking the property back. 

What about hosing off the driveway after the hunters skin and butcher deer?

Either way I will have a partner that will live with me and go halve on the property, just want to make a smart decision being that interest rates are so high and property isn’t cheap in Oahu What’s the best way to skin this cat?

Yes, as others have said, there are many ways to skin this real estate cat.

Without skin in the game you taking on major risk. 

If both you and the property are in CA, on the surface, this looks like a good deal - The seller's expense ratio does not seem realistic.  

You may have to follow local laws for maximum area on your lot that can be covered with pavement or roof (concern about rain water becoming surface runoff instead of soaking into the ground.)

We do this because she is very light-skinned and thus if the appraiser is biased, they see her and not me.

You will need some skin in the game on the first couple that you do.