So consider your banking offerings and then search for local banks that cater to that.

They are more useful IMO for getting chunks of equity right off the bat thru value add and then either realizing that equity by flipping it and using for a down payment on something bigger or hold a couple years and then sell at that point to do that then. 

If you do have enough other income then you dont even need to lease out this property to start your refinance.However if you dont have enough income to qualify with no rental income offset then yes you will need to obtain your lease(s) and security deposit + 1st months rents deposited before you can utilize 75% of this gross income - your monthly PITIA payment (in terms of qualification on this property refinance.So all in all Id make sure what your current debt to income position is first of all (DTI) and then strategize to see if you even need the leases at all.

Then you can read a more in-depth book like The Book On Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner or The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss.2.

Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

I get nervous about it but then have to let my rational brain work and say, I own an out-of-state property and I own another property in LA.

Really hard to kick in a door and then even if they go thru a window, can't open door from inside.3) Remove mechanicals, store, reinstall upon MoveIn4) VPS or DAWGS - metal window screens and doors.

Everyone in this Industry at least who sells RE to Homeowners NOT investors knows the cycles and right now the cycle is MORE LISTINGS period nationwide.. then come about Nov.. people slow way down B/C of the holidays and in other markets winter is slow because weather is so snotty..

I then bought a duplex and eventually got bigger.

My plan was to purchase a lot and build a foundation, bring in a doublewide/manufactured house. have it placed on foundation and have a structural engineer reclassify it as fixed real estate. then, I would refinance.