Our total debt with student loans and credit cards is around $315,000.

I secured a personal loan for labor costs and a Home Depot credit card for material purchases.

Monthly expense is $388 (repairs, vacancy 7%, misc, management fee)This leaves a cash flow of $912 There is no mortgage but I have credit card debt which has negatively affected my credit I have a cash out for 87k (net)mortgage at 9% estimate.

Has a credit card, but never used it, paid everything cash.

If you steal shelter, you become a person with rights to the stolen property, you get a free legal aid lawyer, the court thinks they're being magnanimous by allowing you to continue to steal shelter for a little longer, and then not only is there no punishment, but the court will actually conceal for you the record of your having stolen shelter!

We are not taking on any personal debt to pursue this journey; we don't have car loans, student loans, or carry credit card balances. 

(I’m aware of the strategies I’ll be taking in terms of increasing credit score through small credit card payments etc)For example, I live in NYC, a market that is infamous for being high-barrier entry, so I would mostly be looking at rental properties in the New Jersey area.

Using credit cards might be the way to go.

My concern with rent collection service is potential chargeback, specially if it's paid by credit card. 

I've never required a security deposit and only have had a few small incidents in the last 4 years, one of which was resolved by the guest admitting their fault and making restitution, and 2 in which Airbnb refunded me for a damaged couch and another for a stolen watch.