Foothills area is a great option. 

I have never heard of a limited-scope appraisal and will look more into this option.

There are not many multi-family options available in my local area, and the ones that are available are overpriced or the current rent rolls are extremely below market average($200-$400 per unit).

Alternative options include a cash purchase, requiring significant upfront capital, or a hard money loan with higher interest rates.

What are my options at this point as a landlord?

You shouldn't need any umbrella insurance with Proper since they offer everything in one, but you have the option to up the liability as well.  

I know this is a long post but I really appreciate any guidance and help.Anyone in Ft Lauderdale/Miami area who knows a good contractor, I am still open to that option.

There are so many options out there when it comes to joining a firm and online you can't get a real feel of what to expect.

Looking for guidance from this amazing group:Opportunity to purchase a condo for a STR that will not quite break even from a cash flow metric (obviously depending on financing option), but I'm good with that.

An option may be to roll active 401k funds to an IRA and look at using a self directed IRA to buy the property.