Do you feel like the sharing of your metrics is most impactful because you're sharing it with other people, or because it just gets you out of your head and onto paper to write it out?

Other than that, you can prepare a simple notice letting them know that you thank them for applying, however they did not meet the criteria, and you can choose to tell them it was based off of their credit, and or background or simply just say that the minimum requirements were not met. 

Given the scope of your work, a simple plumbing leak would not concern me, it's a $200 issue at the most and ideally, it's just another line item when you do rough in plumbing for the kitchen.Being in a Milwaukee suburb, I am guessing it's a 1960s ranch, probably with galvanized plumbing.

I'm quickly learning that getting a mortgage isn't a simple task.

Eric, I hope that wasn't too simple of an answer. 

If it is a private money/ commercial style  lender, it is a relatively simple process.

, I really need to keep it simple and minimize risk since I live abroad.

Costs for a CPA may range from $800–$1,500 annually, reflecting the added complexity of self-employment and rental property filings.While DIY tax filing can work for simple W-2 income, rental properties, LLCs, and self-employment income introduce complexities that make a CPA valuable.

simple question to ask, are investor dividends being paid out of net operating income or reserves? 

Negotiation tip #47, make it as simple as possible for the other party to accept your terms.