I may just repaint then stage and get it out on the market ASAP to catch the end of snowbird season.

Perhaps you host a neighborhood showing party when you have a certain amount of units available and stage one of them.

Sounds like you are putting in the work to position yourself as an investor.From your conversations with Lenders, you are in the beginning stages of getting Pre-Approved.

Be a DON'T WANT-ER  - always be willing and ready to walk if you can't get a good deal - And understand that you can always come back to that seller later and begin Second Stage NegotiationsAsk the 7 wordsAlways consider a subject to offerAlways ask for seller financingUse the Study Period Clause with right of possession to control properties without cashOffer seller participation - this is a great way to close dealsOffer something other cash - a note secured by your other equities, an unsecured note, a Principal only mortgage (using this technique you can offer more for the building since you are not paying interest - and as you know a direct reduction mortgage will pay off much faster.

Currently at the inspection stage, but let's assume necessary repairs will be negotiated into reducing the purchase price or are otherwise minimal.

Good luck - been in this stage so many times , this is the sunken cost philosophy ...so cutting your losses is a very under estimated skill ... 

I have clients that don't need my staging advice, and yet they've absolutely benefited from my negotiations. 

With other asset classes in different stages of the cycle, why does it have to be multifamily? 

I am in the education stage on my real estate investor process.

Some people can't see past "work in process" so we have found that once we get past the "ugly stage," the sign goes up and we start showing and screening contenders.