Her credit was in the low 500 but this is one area I am willing to be flexible as I do not like to compromise on income/rental history/no pet. 

Usually after every guest (turnover) there is cleaning and maintenance to be done.

Quote from @Bonnie Low: This is a difficult question to answer because having a midterm rental doesn't equate to a certain room count or configuration.

It’s my personal opinion, and not legal or financial advice, that if I were you I’d plan to start out with one or two conventional loans where if you’re house hacking you can get the low down payments.

Take pics many videos, then call city code enforcement for inspection.Also, look into your state & local laws about escrowing rent for lack of maintenance and follow the rules EXACTLY.

Plus I have seen and helped many people buy househacks here in SD, some working on their 3rd property now, and have 1M in equity using very low down payments to get there. 

It's a breeze, the cash on cash return, while low in absolute terms, is crazy high (3% down + seller credits).

Even the house is fully paid off, the 1% property tax + 1% maintenance offsets 2% annual gain.

I’m skeptical about picking less known areas because then I run the risk of having a low occupancy rate.

I'm sure it's most likely frowned upon but on the smaller scale apartment buildings, during due diligence has anyone ever tried speaking with tenants to uncover any existing conditions or deferred maintenance problems they may be facing?