People are unsure what Kate Brown will do with the moratorium and believe there is no end in sight. 

If you're having a hard time getting her to see your vision for the future, I recommend reading Vivid Vision and using the principles in that book to create your own Vivid Vision.

However with the market the way it is any multifamily is far outside the realm of possibility now for a newbie like me as it seems that the established investors are snatching up any deal in sight before I can do anything and there is the whole cash buyer issue too.

If you are trying to buy just apartments, I wouldn't use a strictly commercial broker on principle alone.

Although plenty of people buy a property sight unseen (I have yet to do this), it is important to conduct in-depth research online, but more important to work with a trusted local investor-savvy real estate agent and property management company to assist with due diligence and property inspections. 

Your Principle and interest alone is $4,446 per month.  

Or, I could take a loan from her, and pay her back interest plus principle over 3 years or so, which would leave full ownership of the company to me after that time. 

I feel like sometimes we, as people, get so fixated on the known, easy solution we lose sight of what we set out to do in the first place, which is maximize returns not only in the short term but the long term as well. 

I had a house under contract, sight unseen (in-person at least) that I intended to hold as a rental.

Just by following some of the principles and listening to the podcasts, I was able to get multiple listings AS WELL AS off market deals (& even one for ourselves that we'll end up keeping that will hopefully turn into a nice rental *fingers crossed*) with little to no training in real estate.