They could make legal arguments about hardship and/or off-sets for non-compliance by landlord, but this would require posting rent or coming even with rent.

That 2nd requirement is  what makes it close to basically impossible with a W2 job.

I recently joined the forum and would like to quickly list my requirements without much ado.1.

That is often a matter of opinion and will depend on the attitude of your municipality.Most municipalities do not require neighborhood approval, but will offer the public opportunities to provide input which will be considered.

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?

Finding these guys will require someone local or a lot of luck.

I think the height requirements in Chicago are 7'6" and we're right on the edge of that. 

I'm also a licensed mortgage broker with a lot of fix-and-flip programs, including some that require as little as 10% down on the purchase price, and provide 100% of the rehab funding.

Just make sure you have all the required permits, including alcohol.

To intentionally reduce the leverage more than required is a foreign concept to me especially in the San Diego market.