Regarding the problem you mentioned of 100% leverage, it definitely makes it harder to pencil in an investment when you're effectively borrowing 100% of the funds.  

We found Garrett Neal and called him and left a voice message.

If they're any good, they will take down any deal they find themselves or send it to a preferred list of people they have already been working with, who they trust to respond quickly, close reliably, solve problems effectively, and be pleasant to work with.You come across as rather arrogant in your posts.

If not, and no other factors (like in a bad area, where a lot of things might get thrown up on the roof; the foundation is moving a lot; ... ) effect it, then bi-annually or when you think you need it should be fine.Feel free to reach out to me/us any time.

My concern is that my DTI may be negatively effected if I refi my primary 1st.

Having a hot tub itself is what I would be looking for, even in luxury rentals I've booked for myself in the past :) My $0.02 is to opt for the larger, more cost-effective, option - which may not be the wood heated one. 

From a logistics and hard cost perspective, it is more cost effective to complete the entire renovation process at once.

If by real estate industry you mean the new MLS laws that went into effect for all Realtors this past August 17th......my take is business as usual. 

On the other hand, if you are netting significant profits (e.g. 100K+ per year, but I really don't know where the cut off point is) in the US, the overhead may be worth cost / aggravation.I am curious what structures Canadians are using and at the end of the day, what is the effective marginal rate they see.

While the relationship may ultimately prove untenable, that will be YOUR payment for the education toward becoming an effective mentor.#4 and #5 really just show up shortfalls in the Bigger Pockets Forums.#4 shows up the need for a more effective way to search the forums.