Collecting unemployment while self-funding

As others have stated already, I am not certain of each state's rules on unemployment, but I would think it's likely you will be able to actually collect unemployment while conducting a self-funded search. If you can meet your state's requirements like applying to jobs, I think you should do it if it helps you reach the ultimate goal.

Other than possibly lenders, I don't see why a potential seller or investors would balk at a good deal because they find out during diligence that you collected unemployment during a self-funded search, especially if you had a previous job at an employer that contributed to unemployment and left that job for your search. At the risk of sounding preachy, we all have different circumstances to manage during our searches, and I think some lose sight of that and offer irrelevant advice as it's based on their situation that doesn't match yours.

Completing the search and acquisition process is a daunting and fluctuating endeavor, and I know from experience that you may have to consider making decisions you didn't think you ever would to secure your goal. Just this member's opinion.

I'm not sure what state you're in and the reporting time commitment, but it might not be worth it. In GA the system easily takes an 3-4 a week and would only net 210 after taxes plus all the time to set it up (easily 10+ hours amortized over the time you receive it). In the end I would say it's worth ~$35/hour so you would have to consider that in terms of your search and your budget.