I do suspect most purchases in San Diego start more negative, but they improve each year.  

If you shield your properties into LLC your personal Dept to income ratio will improve but the lender can still ask for PNL of the LLC or declaration to check if it cashflow positive.I would find a lender who is working with investors and would count all your streams of the income. 

I asked for a slick opportunity to give my tenants free charging for a year, instead I have been offered the opportunity to improve Blinks business model to apartment owners.   

Are you interested in creating your own fund to actively purchase and improve properties in Opportunity Zones near you, or are you looking for a more passive OZ investment? 

In your case, addressing the vacancies with hard money might indeed help improve the DSCR for the institutional loan.

Despite the minimal investment, these updates improved the home's marketability, making it more attractive to potential buyers.

Hello, I am a software developer and I have a data science friend who we want to team up on making software in the real estate niche.Tell me, as a real estate professional, please dream of your ideal software. what kind of software or software feature do you wish you had or wish that can be improved upon.

If he needs to make improvements to increase value, is one reason.

Wouldn't it have to be a leasehold improvement which has its own tax treatment?

However, if improvements were substantial then indeed a Cash out refi will be your best bet, and depending on your credit score, and cash flow you will be between 75%-80%.