The numbers I’ve been running look really promising from a short-term rental (STR) perspective, and the area seems to have favorable STR regulations—or at least a lack thereof.

My thought is is use the Rent Ready feature of reporting his payment history to the credit bureau so it can work in his favor as a trade line, but I'm wondering if this is an unnecessary added step since he can already pull transactions on his bank side. 

Collecting 2-4 rents for 1 property tends to offset taxes more favorably.  

Refinancing next year would likely allow you to lock in a potentially lower rate than the 8% you're currently at, especially if the market conditions continue to favor lower rates.Avoid Duplicate Fees: You're right in thinking about avoiding duplicate fees for the refinance and HELOC.

Favorable Zoning: Griffin’s “MDR in-fill” zoning allows for smaller homes on compact lots without the need for variances, simplifying the building process.

If so, how are some of you running ARV's everyday without asking an agent for multiple favors a day?

They said lock could not be extended (it was a very favorable rate), and they want to increase rate about 0.5%.   

Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought”Mans Search for Meaning: - “What matters, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment”The Richest Man in Babylon: - “To attract goodluck to oneself, it is necessary to take advantage of opportunities” - “Men of action are favored by the goodness of good luck”The Millionaire Next Door: - “Looks can be deceiving”

FHA can be a great option for financing too, because of the low down payment (3.5%) and potentially more favorable interest rate terms.

I think this was written very much in favor of the LL, but the tenant and LL agreed to the lease terms.