Hi Jake, the fact that you're a US citizen/resident has absolutely no bearing on the process.

Moving walls usually requires figuring out what is or isn't load bearing and likely putting a large and usually expensive header.

Even accurate estimates don't bear out on a small sample size.

You and this private person you met hammer out the details of the loan at the kitchen table so to speak and you seal it with a handshake and your reputation that this Private Person already respects or whomever introduced has vouched for you.But if a man opens a lending company tomorrow with 50 Million of his own capital and he checks in on the HML market to see what it bears and he copies his products and UW guidelines and now is he PML or HML? 

I have a new-construction SFR property under contract, and the seller disclosed that there had been heavy metal contamination in the soil due to mining activity many years ago.

Flatter tends to be better, but even then you need to make sure the soil is stable to support your structures.  

Socal has big time brush.. the only way to manage that would be to constantly cut it back but then you erode the soils.. 

Company is Brown Bear Rentals, they are STR managers

Great if you want to add rentals or non owner occupied properties to your portfolio but not so great if you wanted that winter log home in big bear CA or Mammoth lakes, CA.The good news is you're from TN so you have no earned income tax from the state on wages only interest and dividends in certain cases so thats a pro right?

That means being able to spot what to stay away from.Don't chase bears with bee bee guns.