Contact the utility provider and get a historical average based on the last year of use.

2) If two partners were doing a STR deal, and Partner A is the money partner (puts name on loan, and provides down payment) and Partner B is the active manager.

We were reached out to by a migrant housing group member asking if we would house a immigrant member/family/etc. where the nonprofit would provide a 12 month stipend to cover for the "whole" lease.

This will also help determine what type of home you ultimately purchase and provide your beginning foundation.  

No I have given only data.So when you add all this up, the first thing you need to do is get a website and make it credible.Polish up your social media accounts, create a professional banner and start creating content that is engaging.You want people to start interacting with you.Then provide value wherever you can (like I am doing on Biggerpockets).

This can provide unique investment niches.Cons:Limited Local Knowledge: It can be challenging to have the same level of familiarity with an out-of-state market.

Off Market,submitted a non refundable deposit in good faith to entertain the seller that i was a serious buyer 7 that i would close escrow

It's coming b/c it is going to provide liquidity AND lower investment risk (decreasing cap rates and increasing property valuation). 

This is partly because a substantial down payment provides an exit strategy, such as selling the property, if financial challenges arise. 

It provides a lot of valuable data that I use for projecting income on a specific property.