@Joe S. over 2.5M of my funds are sitting in another lenders bank who shouldn’t have it and I have no security interest in the property that was paid off.

Welcome to BP - rates have finally come down a bit so that cash flow is now possible again in some markets for classic turnkey rentals but still have a bit of a ways to go - if you have the ability to BRRRR - that is going to likely really be the better strategy to get a more robust cash flow at the start

The property is yours to secure and use if necessary.

A good tenant usually wants security and I want "good" tenants. 2.

The vast majority of lawsuits against Landlords are for wrongful eviction, security deposit disputes, and Fair Housing Violations.

Laminate countertops can hold up pretty well and if damaged, will need to come out of the security deposit - lower cost product, so a larger percent of it gets paid for if damaged. 

If the 10 year treasury is at 5% which is guaranteed, investors will want a risk premium for the mortgage backed security which here is a great article on it. 

It will depend on the amount of security you are offering, the attractiveness of the interest rate, and your ability to raise cash, among other things.

Assuming it's written in your management agreement somewhere that states the owners are current on all financial responsibilities related to the property, does anyone require them to actually provide a current mortgage statement, HOA payment record, taxes paid, etc..... at least at the time of the original management agreement signing.Recently had a new owner sign the agreement, only to find out after we had secured a new tenant for them, that they were in financial distress to say the least (inquiring about bankruptcy) .

Each tenant also signs a lease agreement for added security.