I can make choices based on a smaller or larger rehab budget but it seems that neither approach has yielded any luck as I have also approached a few companies with less lofty rehab goals and been told they dont do loans that small.  

I am in the process of outgrowing my current market and would like to to move to bigger MF opportunities, in larger markets. 

A couple things seems funky-1 - Why 6 months to repair if only 50k in renovations?

A combination of utilizing renovation skills and managing a cash flow producing property long term.Best of luck!

Hard Money (The flip I am currently working on, we used a Hard Money loan for the purchase of the home and the renovation)2.

I did serious renovations on the property to get it to a point where it was "my home". 

We renovated 1 unit just to give some cosmetic updates (ended up doing a lot more then originally planned) and we moved into that unit.

I then do a 1031 exchange for a larger property. 

I recommend working with an investor-friendly brokerage that can help you throughout the entire process of purchasing, renovating, renting and managing your rental property.

If it checks out, get it into contract and pay for a home inspection (and any other needed inspections) for good measure.There are more investor buyers than ever before, so the lowest hanging fruit needs work/renovation.