These platforms typically have billing policies where you pay a per unit fee per month to the software and you get regular updates and support each month.There are a number of low-cost platforms available that are able to offer you a lower price by passing along some of the costs to your tenants (payment processing fees, applications, tenant screening, etc).

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

Contrary to most business lending, the REI industry has a lot of "non-bank" lenders that provide attractive loans that can lower your cost of capital and improve your profit/cash flow. 

. :) A zoning change can take up to 6 months, approval isn't guaranteed (despite Aldermanic support), and potentially cost a lot of money (architectural site / floor plans & dimensioned elevations, zoning attorney, holding costs, etc.) 

Considering opportunity cost of not affording more rentals vs paying much more in interest.

Determining the cost on something like this is only something you'll be able to find out by talking to the city.

But I would charge the extra 3% to cover my costs.

It costs $10 to register to attend the events, but your attendance comes with an all you can eat buffet at The Asian Star Buffet.

For residential multifamily properties (1 - 4 units), can you use a home warranty to take care of the repair costs associated with rentals?

To leverage the equity for financing my next deal, a second mortgage seems like a more cost-effective option.