I can also see the ends of the Commuter Rail lines being good too...like Haverhill for instance  The Salem/Beverly area is great and pretty pro-development/housing from what I'm hearing.

Unless they are on the poorer end renting furniture from Rent-a-Center they aren't likely wanting to pay to rent someone else's furniture.

If you get in with a locked in company that's in it for the long haul, your success and being taken care of are gonna be pretty high. 

My known options are hard money or private lending and then maybe doing a cash out refi, but rates would be high on both ends and will really cut into my cash flow. 

In-person interactions are great for building trust with potential investors.Real Estate Platforms:BiggerPockets: A robust platform for connecting with private lenders and investors.Fund That Flip, PeerStreet, Groundfloor: Online platforms connecting investors with real estate projects.Social Media Groups: Facebook and LinkedIn groups dedicated to real estate investing often have private investors or lenders looking to connect.Personal Network: Often overlooked, but friends, family, and colleagues may know individuals interested in investing.Private Money Brokers: If you're working on wholesaling deals, you may find brokers who have established relationships with private money lenders.Real Estate Agents: Some agents have connections with private investors, especially those focused on investment properties.For your 50% LTV, it's good to approach investors who may be interested in lower-risk, high-equity deals.

Since your property has high resale potential, some lenders may be willing to work with you.Cash-Out Refinance – If you’re open to refinancing, you could take out a new mortgage for a portion of the home’s value (say, 60-70% of the $500K), and use the cash difference for renovations.Personal Loan – If you have good credit, you might qualify for a personal loan for part of the rehab costs, though interest rates are typically higher than secured loans.Partner with an Investor – Given the potential profit, you may be able to find a real estate investor or contractor willing to finance the rehab in exchange for a share of the profits upon sale.Your best option depends on your financial standing, timeline, and risk tolerance.

Off street parking is typically more important for high end/expensive rentals.

As for the first, yes we'd be able to do that (for example, replacing a water heater which is the mechanical that's closest to the end of its useful life).

At the end of the day, it’s a big decision choosing who to invest with, but the academy is very enticing.  

I ending up burning some money for the things you described (NAR membership, brokerage fees, quarterly MLS charges, etc), just a lot of things I found I wasn't getting any value from, I decided to simply put it on full stop and take a year to really reallocate and figure out what I needed to do.