Unless you have a good eye for design, I highly recommend getting a professional.

In my eyes this created a bloat. 

I'm doing some research now to identify potential areas to keep an eye on and possibly connect with an investor-oriented local agent in each of the areas we're considering.  

Specifically, eyeing entry-level markets with all in purchase + rehab between $80k to $170k.What markets do you think I could maximize the likelihood of recouping most, if not all, of my cash?

We tried to get info on the lender to ask directly but they wouldn't give it to us.I would have thought this would be a relatively quick process to do a credit check, check debt to income, employer verification, etc.current loan's interest rate is very low so they definitely haven't refinanced anytime recently.Additionally, having never assumed a loan before, anything I should keep an eye out for that might cause a hiccup? 

In my eyes, it's fair as even though I'm fronting the capital, the split in equity is worth it as it gives me more time to run my other business, plus we can do things faster with two of us, plus at this point of my REI journey, I don't have the skills/experience (yet) that he does with the construction side and for him, he values not having to manage the finances.  

Additionally, review your listing in the eyes of a renter to see if it is appealing.

-The need to keep my eyes on the right numbers and metrics to ensure I'm making the best decisions.

I've still been keeping my eyes out.  

In my eyes, yes.