I know there are financing and building code aspects to consider, but I'm mostly interested in the total cost breakdown.

Time is money in the game and in the market I am in and there just isnt enough time to mess around with the 203k loan.Now Hard Money may be an option for you but I dont believe you can owner occupy a home that has hard money at least witht the HML lenders I have used this has been a strict concern they have because the lender will be in hot water if you move in.

Its all based on the property, zoning codes and the numbers.Yes there is a demand for smaller properties especially new construction if in the right location. 

If you are dealing with a strictly financed purchase, I'd recommend either looking in a different market to get the numbers that you want or connecting with a RE agent that can help with purchases that are on the market and sellers are willing to accept finance. 

They replaced and brought two water heaters up to code.

Using the filter function you can start deleting undesirable properties based on the numbers to get the list down to a manageable size.If there is no value in the building column then you are likely looking at vacant land.There should be a code in one column that tells you if a property is a house, mobile home lot, multifamily, store etc.I spend a lot of time narrowing down my list, then I look up what they look like online to eliminate more, then I drive by every property that I might bid on.I do this myself, I don't trust a VA for this work as I am spending a bunch of money and one mistake on a property could cost many thousands of dollars.

I am a strict landlord and it is a lot easier to charge the $50 late fee when it is my uncle's fault.

These are two totally different tax codes. 

Your codes dept can help with the permits and requirements (insulation, drywall, doors, closets, wiring, window size and heights, including if you need a licensed contractor, professional drawings, the inspections, etc).Keep in mind, if the tenant doesn't have the required number of dependents to get a 4 bdr voucher, adding a bdrm will just cost you money up front and on taxes, but not get you more from the S8 office.

These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics.