Do you have rent roll to prove that current slots there are actually paying and on time?

He's actually an Isreali Shark for Shark Tank there.

., one way you could free up some slots for traditional mortgages would be to take cash out of one or more properties and use that to payoff other properties so that they are free an clear. 

There's no harm in asking if they have an open slot, or if you can work around their other jobs - that's different.

You can use a multi-tool to cut a slot all the way around the room to increase the expansion joint, just make sure the slot is smaller than the baseboard (or add shoe/1/4 round molding). 

Propstream and Property Shark might not help so much with market choice as opposed to property choice but are paid services I have not used yet.I have noticed some choose because of where they live, some because of where they have been the most besides where they live, or because they have a strong family or friend presence there and have an "in".... some people choose based on straight analysis alone...

I do not like competing with sharks if I am not a shark myself.

:)When you ask a bunch of strangers, you'll either get crickets or sharks that smell blood.

As it is now, I only have one qualifying loan (filling one “slot”), but 15 commercial loans.

If you are running on razor thin ratios, it may not be a good deal to begin with.