If you are willing to pay a decent amount for good data and lists that aren't as easily affordable as what someone who can afford Propstream could get, then there is Audantic, which the folks in my master mind has good data/lists.

In the future you have a more likely shot of doing something real estate-related with your LLC there than the big banks.

They weren't interested in doing that, which I expected, but figured I'd give it a shot anyway. 

For a decent long term tenant I would probably just spackle and touch up the paint because I think you might could make and argument  for wear and tear if the tenant had been in the property for a long time.

I think there is a decent market to cater to professions like yours with furnished short term rentals (several months at a time).

I'd prefer to keep government out of my business but it seems like a decent program.

I've seen some of that too in our area but it's the listing prices that have changed, not the sales prices. ie, sellers are taking a shot at the moon to see what happens but prices are still considerably higher now than they were 6 months ago.

I have decent assets but do not look good on paper.

And here in Hawaii, adding sq. ft. to a property generally a great thing to do - but I agree with Rick, check out comps, and see if the extra space will give you a decent return on your money.  

Any well-priced home in a decent neighborhood is getting 30+ offers still and the winner is typically either cash with little to no due diligence/other contingencies or conventional financing with either no contingencies or a chunky appraisal gap.