You'll have tenants that don't pay, damages made, and potentially other disasterous situations occur on your properties. 

Many community banks will give you credit for proforma rents.  

the note is converted or exchanged for credits?  

Renting it out while strategically leveraging the equity could be the best path forward.As @Jaycee Greene said, DSCR looks at your credit rather than DTI.

Contractors, unless you have a working relationship with them, normally do not want you bouncing ideas off them.Understand what their hourly rate is, have a discussion with them that you are okay with paying them an hourly rate if they walk the property with you and provide you a scope of work along with an explanation of what you can/can't get away with in regards to improvements.ask them if you go with them, if they can credit you the amount that you paid.Once you develop a working relationship with a few contractors, you can bounce ideas off them and expect quality responses.I do not invest in New York.Best of luck. 

The only other option I see is a short sale, if you don't need to purchase for a few years and don't mind a temporary credit hit to save the $60k.  

You can't run a credit/criminal without the social.

Solar has an energy credit and Starlink is deductible as business expense. 

An attorney is not needed provided your not making a claim of fraud or misconduct/damages are being sought. 

As I said, check with local banks and credit unions.