You can absolutely use the improved value to simply refinance  what you owe with no waiting period.

Benefit refinance: - Get a lower interest rate - Use cash for property improvements

Especially considering it looks like he bought it for 225k in 2021, with minimal to any improvements.

It has inspired me to look at some improvements we want to make in the months ahead!

However, you can expect to recover about 50-55% of your investment when selling the home.Improve curb appeal, which is what you mentioned before, clean up the exterior, add landscaping, and make minor improvements to enhance the property's first impression.

But the main reason I came back after the app was eliminated was to simply help people not make the same mistakes I did.It would be cool to somehow improve my knowledge, networking etc thogh.

Here are the Fannie Mae guidelines for legally non-conforming properties:If the Property's characteristics are legally non-conforming, you must:ensure the Borrower executes the Modifications to Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement (Legal Non-Conforming Status) (Form 6275);confirm whether, if fully or partially destroyed, the Property's Improvements can be fully rebuilt to the pre-casualty condition per current laws, zoning requirements, and building codes; and if the Property’s Improvements cannot be fully rebuilt to the pre-casualty condition, evaluate if the as-rebuilt Property will support the Mortgage Loan at the current Tier, and document your analysis in the Transaction Approval Memo.To assess the Borrower's ability to rebuild Improvements on a non-conforming Property to a level that will support the Mortgage Loan at the current Tier, you should consider: conducting a threshold analysis to determine the resulting actual amortizing DSCR if the reconstructed Improvements cannot be rebuilt as-is per current law; the likelihood of a casualty event (e.g., wind, earthquake, fire, flood, mine subsidence, etc.); the percentage of damage to the Improvements at which the Property’s jurisdiction will require the Property be rebuilt to current zoning and land use requirements (i.e., the destruction threshold); which Property characteristics the destruction threshold percentage applies to, such as market value, assessed value, replacement cost, or unit count; for Properties with multiple buildings, if the destruction threshold percentage applies to each building, or all buildings as a whole; the replacement cost to rebuild per current requirements for zoning, and land use; the Property’s continued marketability, and economic viability; the amount and type of Borrower-maintained insurance coverage required per Part II, Chapter 5: Property and Liability Insurance, Section 501.02C: Ordinance or Law Insurance; insurance loss proceeds payout, compared to increased rebuilding costs, including from building code changes, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, and the municipality's local zoning requirements (e.g., green compliance for new buildings, etc.); the sufficiency of estimated insurance proceeds from ordinance or law insurance and other coverages to repay the Mortgage Loan in the event of partial or full casualty, or condemnation; and for a Tier 3 or Tier 4 Mortgage Loan, if requiring execution of the Limited Payment Guaranty (Form 6020.LPG) would mitigate the risk of the as-rebuilt Property not supporting a Tier 2 Mortgage Loan.

This helps improve your return on equity (ROE) by moving your investment into a property that potentially offers better cash flow and appreciation.

to boost your initial outlay, or to improve the properties, etc... 

While you can’t take bonus depreciation every year, you can take it in the year the property is placed in service or when you make eligible improvements.