Before diving in to offer advice, I'd like to clarify a few things with you, if I may....You mention that you are going to live in the property while you renovate. 

Let's of NYC investors look at other cities in NY, Rochester, Buffalo, etc... they can drive to them to see them, and they know the state well enough to feel comfortable.Most of the rust belt cities in NY offer cash flow as well. 

As a property management company ourselves, we use Guesty, which offers an Owner Portal.

@Heather Luu first, make it more efficient by only worrying about deadbolts.There is actually very LITTLE additional protection a lock handset offers in addition to a deadbolt.On the properties we manage, we remove all keyed doorknobs and just use passage locks. 

However, full site visits, though more expensive, maximize tax savings by capturing every depreciable asset and offer better audit protection.While online studies may be suitable for simpler properties, full site visits are ideal for complex or high-value properties.

So they are good paying retail.. we had 5 to 7 offers on each project .

The drawback is you need to build trust and relationships upfront.Both have their place, but private money tends to offer more flexibility, while hard money is more structured and accessible if you lack personal connections.

But, it may not offer the ROI as other locales, and it may not be "fun" like buying in a favorite vacation spot.2 - The highest ROI folks - Self explanatory, will go where ROI is high and/or regulation low.3 - The second home/retirement minded - These people are looking for minimal ROI but want the house in a specific location because they like to use the property and want it to pay for itself.

The offering would be at 490 units at $1000 unit which allows 49% to be sold to have the preceding benefits to remain in place.

But the ‘investors’ funding letter in black & white says ‘this offer is considered cash’ & it’s signed by Nick Raimondi of Insula Capital Group, a private lender for Real Estate Investments.