. $25k for helical piers sounds a little steep, but it's been a few years since I saw a quote for that, and of course it depends on how many you need.

Ultimately, it depends on your goals (low rates, fast turnaround, etc.).

I think it really depends on if you are able to increase that cap rate with value-adds post acquisition.

Whether that is worth the $99 really depends on if you think it’s or is not

If your properties are all located in CA I would advise looking in states like IN, OH, FL, TN, OR, GA and a few other states depending on comfort zone.

You should definitely be able to find decent multifamily properties for under $200k, and multifamily would be my suggestion for starting out if you can swing a larger down payment (depending on loan type, you MAY need 10% more for a multifamily vs a single family, but not always).

It will depend on your budget and if you are willing to take hard money. 

This might be better if you’re uncertain about refinancing or want to keep more liquidity for other opportunities.Since you’ll move in 5 years, it really depends on how confident you are about refinancing.

It doesn't hurt to go over the numbers with a lender though who could give a breakdown of what a closing might look like depending on your buy box. 

The DSCR scenario you mentioned doesn't seem too far off depending on the full scenario.