Because so much has been done wrong & has to be undone:-(PS Maybe Jonathan will make you an offer?

STRs offer an experience that can't be replicated.

But if your goal is to leave your day job soon, multi family will offer more cash flow typically.

Let's of NYC investors look at other cities in NY, Rochester, Buffalo, etc... they can drive to them to see them, and they know the state well enough to feel comfortable.Most of the rust belt cities in NY offer cash flow as well. 

Before diving in to offer advice, I'd like to clarify a few things with you, if I may....You mention that you are going to live in the property while you renovate. 

@Nicholas McCormick, thanks for the offer!

Traditional deals often don’t excite investors—offering $200/month in cash flow isn’t very compelling.But with co-living, you can offer 5X the returns, making it much easier to secure funding.Now, instead of asking an investor to put up a 20% down payment for $200/month cash flow, you can pitch them a 5% down investment yielding $1,000+/month—a much more attractive deal.Why Co-Living is the FutureCo-living isn’t just another strategy—it’s a high-demand, high-cash-flow, lower-risk investment model that aligns with today’s rental market trends.

@Heather Luu first, make it more efficient by only worrying about deadbolts.There is actually very LITTLE additional protection a lock handset offers in addition to a deadbolt.On the properties we manage, we remove all keyed doorknobs and just use passage locks. 

Hey Jeremy, thanks for reaching out and offering to help, I really appreciate it!

Do not offer to pay more rent ever to make the deal happen.