Think self employed productive individual that is responsible and has cashflow but is not what the banks call a qualified borrower.  

I've been in the Air Force for the past 10 years and I'm hoping to use this as a means to becoming financially independent by the time I retire in another ten years so that I can focus on what makes me happy rather than what pays the bills.I am currently living in the Richmond, VA area, where I own a home that I will be renting out in another year or so when I leave here.If anyone has any advice, I am all ears and I look forward to participating in these forums!

However, I think I could simply rent out the other two rooms for about 600-650 a month to individual renters, so while the property isn't hitting the 1% rule, it does seem to make sense from a house hacking perspective.

Your financials are too tight to not have predictable cash flows on this property.You also could lose the home sale exclusion if you convert your former residence to a rental.  

I know there are institutional funds (Blackstone probably being the largest) but haven't found any that would make sense for the high net worth individual investor.

I worked as land manager for one of the largest home builders for three years just prior to the crash, but was only responsible for property due diligence, and construction of roads, utilities, and site work for large projects; not individual single family home rehabs or individual / small scale new home communities.  

I'm looking for a firm that understands real estate investing and can advise on the proper structure and financial strategies to lower tax burdens. 

I work as an appellate public defender, which is fulfilling work but not so financially rewarding. :-) My goal is to buy my first property in either of these two markets.

I am in the middle class and am using the depreciation deduction (and someday 1031) to better my family's financial position.  

., find your own cleaning crew (preferably an individual or small group that you can work closely with), find a local laundry service (don't pay your cleaning crew to wait around for towels/sheets to dry), electronic locks (keys suck).