Sounds like NO isn’t doing that step and asking the OTAs to do it for them. 

Our current president is supposedly floating a policy idea of rent control to no more than 5% annually. 

the simple reply to your question is they do not exist  except for very experienced repeat clients. someone with no experience or very limited experience is not going to get a true no money down HML..

No thanks they say, visit us where we live, but we have no desire to visit the city. 

There will be red flags that jump out at you...obvious drugs, poor/no work history, etc3.

No, this is common for states to not follow the federal guidelines when it comes to bonus depreciation, there is no exemption or other work-around.

I really want to absorb as much as possible but only have about 70K in cash available, so I'd rely on financing, which I am no stranger to.

Imporant to note:The loft has a 3.25% interest rate, but I have no desire to live there again.

One of the biggest things I regret looking back on my career is not getting into multifamily sooner and thinking that I had to start in residential and then to slowly work up my unit count.

For me that would be the biggest consideration.