Where another issue arrises is I recently quit my job after becoming pregnant as they would not cover my maternity while overseas, my husband is employed however he works for a UK company and is British so would be unlikely to help us with the situation in the US.

No DTI issues.

I bet if converted BACK, it would be 4br+, probably a rather spacious 4br+: - a whole lot easier to rent given much more demand for such vs efficiency or 1brs- no longer competing in any way against apartments- no more utility issues, because tenants cover 100% of there own utilaties- no more headaches of wrangling different persons to play nice togetherAnd on and on and on...... 

My issue is finding the right opportunity being that I'm in a high COL area.

It's usually best to talk with your neighbors about your plans and get their support as one of the variance tests is that the requested relief does not cause a public health issue or alter the essential character of the neighborhood.Try googling "tests for a variance in [your state]" and talk with your local zoning department.

@Aaron Raffaelli, I’m sorry to hear that you are having issues qualifying.

How can I correct cashflow issues if I have 3 properties?

Typical renovations include:Cosmetic Updates: Painting, flooring, kitchen and bathroom upgrades, and landscaping.Structural Repairs: Fixing any underlying issues such as foundation repairs, plumbing, or electrical updates.Efficiency Improvements: Adding energy-efficient windows, new HVAC systems, and better insulation to increase the property's overall value.The goal of the rehab phase is to increase the property’s market value while making it an attractive place for tenants.

small portion" of profit is not worth the possible legal issues.

As an example, we decided to replace the windows in a house we were renovating and ended up costing us $50,000 extra because we got into issues with permitting and suddenly found ourselves having to hire an architect, speciality contractors, etc.