For decades I have watched countless knuckleheads clog up courts opening up probates for no-equity properties and get emergency orders to temporarily stop foreclosure sale.

I don't see how it's all or nothing.Permanent solution is to carve out a section of the lanai that permits emergency exit but shows (with a wall or such) that the rest of the lanai is not part of the other guy's unit.  

I can also tell you that a lot of selling agents are pushing their sellers to accept offers that are not FHA if they are able to, the FHA just has a stigma about it and for my clients we try to avoid that if possible.Also keep in mind that EVERYONE is looking for 2-4 unit properties, so don't lock yourself into that market when you could much more easily find a SFH tomorrow to start your house hack in and be moved out of it in 12 months (rather than spending 12 months competing with every other investor for 12 months and potentially not getting one).Utilize the VA Loan, find something you can put sweat equity into, and refi out after a year or two into a conventional so that you can use the VA Loan over and over and over. 0% down is something not many others have access to, so use it to your advantage to keep cash in your pocket for an emergency fund, or rehab.

"I really like this one" is likely to hurt you on a $400K house that needs this kind of emergency electrical surgery from the get-go, at your current experience level.

I would let the tenant know that you do not operate outside of normal business hours (for non-emergencies) since they are also unwilling to meet during normal business hours.

Ran into some issues right after purchasing the property from the city saying construction can't proceed in that area until there's an secondary emergency access lane installed.

I still test and tweak new methods as they emerge while trying to improve on the tried and true.Dollar for dollar, the best bang for my buck has always been direct mail.

Do they have ways to filter calls that are emergency vs ones that can wait?

Or is that in addition to your emergency fund?

With that being said if I put 3.5% down with a FHA loan that would be $10,500, plus 2% closing fees ($6,000) and I estimate a 3 month emergency fund to be around $7,500 on the safer end.