The data points they use made me feel like it got my pricing right and I feel much more confident about what my nightly and seasonal rates are now. 

Who cares about lifetime interest costs, except to the extent you can easily lower them (refinance to a lower interest rate) to increase your cashflow.

The first couple is a no-brainer.The second group has too many people, increasing wear-and-tear on the home.

Is it best to simply increase rent by a fixed amount (e.g., $700) to cover this, or are there other strategies for handling utilities in this situation?

You can find SF properties that already have in law suites, garage units, etc, and now legally rent those, so it should increase the appraised value significantly.

I look at foreclosures.comOut of the 3 stages I am definitely not ready for an auctionpreclosure / short sales:- I need to research how to take over a deed / title- need to prepare how to do door knocking (I have a sales background and feel confident in dealing with an emotional conversation about someone’s home) - there IS a window of like 4 weeks that I need to prepare for (have my finances in order) to then bid before it goes to auction?

Age: I think it will but you can minimize it by being knowledgeable, professional, confident, and fair.  

Follow up with an email to the agent and bullet point your case, which increases the chance that the owner will actually hear them7.)

You are already paying rent, so pay it to yourself to increase cash flow and accelerate savings for the next investment. 

Leverage is a big factor in real estate investing, as investors can control large assets with relatively small down payments, increasing their potential returns (and risks).6.