I get a ton of bang for my buck for the 3% I pay Airbnb.

Your numbers are bang on we have been involved in some builds there too.

Hey @David Herzog, you are pretty much out of luck as a STR from what I can tell.Hosts must register for a Home-sharing permit for a yearly $89 fee.Hosts can only register one property with the city at a time.Hosts can only register their primary residence (where they reside at least six months of the year).Hostshare limited to a 120-day cap per year, and can sign up for “extended home sharing” if they would like to host beyond the 120-day cap.

Totally different story if you're a GC or do the work yourself, but there's generally way better bang for your buck. 

Some states have laws the prevent you from evicting them unless they break a lease and then they have rent control on top of that which caps the rental income you can charge each year. 

Considering that I want the house to appraise for as high as it can while having durable material inside for tenants, what are the best bang-for-buck options I should use?

I calculate 10% for maintenance, 5% for cap ex costs, and 8% for vacancy, the other method is to judge the condition of the property and figure out from there,  If it needs a lot of work I make sure it has a minimun of $100 for month for repairs. 

Be clear about your goals "I need XX Cap rate"  "I need to pay less than XX month" and show them how the deal as it is currently structured does not allow you to achieve them.  

Speaking of BAH, I do check online and at my local Education Office, and ask what the E-5 to E-6 or O-1-3 cap is for housing allowance. 

Made a kickass excel sheet that's been helpful in figuring out potential properties CAP rate and Cash on Cash Return.