Uninformed investors often buy loans with vital originals documents missing.  

The loan officer told me that property has to be "habitable" (meaning property has to have carpet, functional Kitchen, bathroom, etc) in order for them to approve the loan.

One of the seven habits = begin with the end in mind.

I agree having a team in place is vital, I believe we have a pretty good one in place now.Kerry.

I would have the cleaner provide documentation stating cleaning is mandatory for apartment habitation (or recommended) whichever the cleaner believes to be true.

So essentially depending on your timing you will need (2) things in your favor to do that lower rates, and enough equity.In some cases having an interest only rate is not a good thing because it can and it does create comfort which can lead to bad habits of not paying the principal down.

This may make them think twice about not keeping the property to safe and habitability standards. 

Hey Fisher,Yes, you can live in your garage and rent out rooms in your house, provided that the garage is properly converted into a habitable living space according to local building codes and regulations.

As @Tom Gimer and @Peter Walther write, why wouldn't they isure is a vital question. 

, social habits, etc. etc.I got a feel for these things during our walk throughs, interviews, and social media research.