I'd be happy to provide an overview of what our clients are experiencing and would ever offer to get you in touch with some recent clients to discuss their experience working with us.

The lessons you learned the hard way in 2008 will be invaluable now, and it’s great that you’re aiming to stay small-scale and within your comfort zone of Sacramento, which gives you an advantage of knowledge in that market.Given your experience, I'd say start by focusing on three key areas to build confidence and minimize risks:Budget Control: Over-renovating was one of the big mistakes you mentioned.

By adopting the house-hacking method—living in one unit while renting out the others—we plan for the tenants to cover the mortgage and gain valuable property management experience.

That data would be sales price after remodel (the true numbers some agents really don't have the experience to be comping the property), the days on market you will experience (this is great info because you want to recycle the money quickly), and resources to sell the place fast not slowly which you do not want this because this could put your holding costs extremely high and push the property to little profit or no profit. 

We are going to create a vibrant experience for our Guests!

.), I'd recommend that the residential units fully cash flow the loan as my experience is that mixed use properties are tougher to finance as most lenders tend to prefer one or the other and something in the middle gets more difficult.For example, and granted I don't know anything about the area/neighborhood, I would expect this property (https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/111-NW-Har...) to be easier to finance than the mixed-use property you mentioned. 

I've been searching for threads/experience purchasing via DSCR (using HELOC as down payment + rehab) and then cash out-refi at 6mo & pay off HELOC...am I missing something?  

The experience/knowledge of being an agent will help you so much.  

- In our opinion/experience, it's important for an OOS investor to understand the "lay of the land".

Anyone have experience with this?