One item I can add from being a guest at a STR...keep up on your pest control (this includes mice/rat control). 

Will be way cheaper.Have the engineer, put together a cost list by line item. 

That person has negotiated a cut of fees and carry with the main GP that actually operates the deal.  

If you plan to live solely off rent I don't think you can carry a total debt load greater than 25-40% of your total portfolio value.  

Make him carry the insurance.

That's my top priority for wish list items and no brick and mortar bank can help with that, lol.

Get the lender to explain the items to you- Dont make surface level comparisons of monthly payments or APR.

My stone countertops have lasted longer than any of my laminate countertops as well, so I tend to stick with it.If you're worried about sealing the granite, I have that as a checklist item during turnover so I don't worry about having my tenants do it.

If there is a shortage when either item is paid, the servicer will pay the amount due and increase the mortgage payment to cover the shortfall.

This MIGHT put us back in budget - but I'm not convinced it doesn't also carry significant risk at this point.As a side note, because of how much cash any of these solutions appears like it will take us, we're wondering if there are personal lenders or hard money lenders that do these deals.