Now, my properties are near the top end of what you can afford and still qualify for Section 8...

The last 10 -15 years have seen the introduction of many products that have made it much much easier for marginally qualified and even unqualified people to enter the arena as real estate syndicators.  

They have a database full of qualified investors that they have made loans to already.

The good news is that if since it is being used for investment use, you could also qualify for a 1031 exchange and take advantage of the 121 exclusion.

The issue I'm running into with this is the area I'm planning on moving to isn't exactly the most affordable, and so even with 0% down, you still have to make the mortgage payments, and you're only qualified for up to an amount supportable by your in-place income, which of course makes sense.

Some of the simpler asset protection solutions would include the following:  having max funds allowed in qualified retirement plan or IRA rather than personal as retirement plans are exempt assets in Federal and most state bankruptcies; investing through an annuity if your state (Florida and Texas for example) exempts insurance policies and defines annuities as an insurance policy; taking advantage of maximum homestead exemption in your state; use of corporations or more popular LLC or Series LLC to limit liability to the entity holding the asset; reasonable liability insurance if available; separating asset ownership from asset management; etc.I can design a simple, cost effective asset protection strategy of up to about $5million with little cost IF the individual resides in Texas or Florida.  

A property qualifies as Homestead for this exemption if an eligible owner files a Principal Residence Exemption (PRE): https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/0,4676,7-238-43535_43539-210891--,00.html#:~:text=Section%20211.7cc%20and%20211.7,purposes%20up%20to%2018%20mills.Many investors have gotten an ugly surprise when they bought a property that was a primary residence of the seller for the last 20 years.

In the world of commercial real estate, especially for those of us involved in wholesaling, hard money lending, and larger commercial transactions, finding truly qualified leads can be one of the toughest parts of the job.Unlike traditional real estate, commercial deals require a more complex understanding of financing, deal structure, and the unique needs of clients—many of whom are investors looking for specific ROI targets.

Generally speaking, as long as your daughter has not reached the $13M lifetime gift limit, the gift won't be subject to gift tax.You would want to get a qualified appraisal for the the fair market value at the time of gift/sale, Zillow is not the most reliable :-)

Back stairs.If you are talking about making a 2+1 into a legal 3, the towns are going to tell you only the above two will qualify.