And I'd hope people have enough wit's to figure if someone BS's their way to get "biz leads" there probably going to BS their way through/around anything/everything else.     

It’s best to channel energy towards the future and not dwell on negative things. 

Based on my experience, it’s often not worth the time and expense because appeals frequently lead to no change in the tax assessment.

Pretty much the core of the STR business.Higher your rank gets, you can increase your price and be more picky in selecting customers which usually lead to a better review / less party or complaints / less expense and higher profit with a happy life.I know some people will argue, but the ranking system is the truth and should be the only guide to your STR journey. 

Wouldn't buy leads from them. 

I believe San Diego is a great RE market but the reality is it is very competitive and most purchases have negative initial cash flow.  

You could also bring on a business partner that specializes in sales/marketing to lead that side of the business

Most of our team leads are generated on YouTube with long-form content, neighborhood reviews, market updates etc.

Will getting this second home loan right now, affect me negatively when I go apply for the construction loan in the next 1-6 months?

So, even a small negative like a $50 unpaid cell phone bill that goes to collections when you switch carriers tanks their score.