But 3) Try multifamily specific brokers, crexi and loopnet, although 2-4 units maybe scarce. 4) A home equity line of credit is a good source of funds however it will generally make your overall monthly payments higher, so unless a deal is very solidly cashflowing, a HELOC may put you into negative cashflow. 7) Typically electric/gas are paid by the tenant - however this isn't true across the board. 

I'm only guessing but based on what some of the local project managers were saying is that a typical family of four that was paying for a three bedroom cabin decided they could get by with a one or two bedroom with a loft or a pullout sofa so the demand from the larger ones went up. 

It is not too good to be true as your mortgage should typically be around 50% of the rental income.

Unfortunately, if you ask more than one question, they only answer one, and it's typically not an answer to any of the questions you asked. 

A lender or appraiser will typically use the most recent MLS comps (for updated properties) in the area to determine ARV.

Typically the landlord is responsible for things like this. 

To what extent does landscaping typically add value to a property for the purposes of appraisal and re-financing, compared to other improvements? 

Investors typically won't care that you're representing the seller and others will prefer that you're direct to seller.Listing it on the MLS will get the most inquiries for the property.

@Chris Blackburn, while I can't speak to this specifically, there are a few red flags I see in your post.1: A Realtor has to be a member of the national association of realtors, an industry trade group primarily focused on your typical home buyer.  

If I could, pick your brain a bit more, how much do you typically set aside for things like CapEx/Vacancy?