Appears to be recent.  

If a seller has a property that isn't financeable with a conventional loan because it needs repairs, you could appear to be a decent option.

It gives the upgrade appearance and some patterns look like marble or granite.Vinyl planks are nice but in a  building common area in NYC its the "wish i had real hardwood" look.  

House-hacking a bedroom is fine since you'd also be living there, but I WOULD NOT follow the suggestion of the realtors and put utilities in your name just to give the appearance that you're living there and then rent it out to other people completely.

It appears that the person talking big game was simply a paper collector that had no real decision-making powers and the folks doing the underwriting Are looking for stuff to create a problem where no problem exist. 

Eventually, when/if the numbers appear, those numbers will eliminate option from consideration anyway.

You found out that in Nov, yet appears to have asked for full months rent for Dec. as requested by Sec. 8 letter to tenant.

But now it appears to be business as usual and buyers are clamoring to get some of the pie. 

Volumes have been down and banks do not appear to be discounting like before.

If it appears there's value in the property I'm looking at, then I'll let my Realtor dig her heels into all the data before making an offer.