I would also ask them about cash for keys since I would initially offer the tenant this. 

They will be your BOG (boots on the ground) to be able to view the property.I will say that I did buy my current primary residence abroad and it wasn't fairly complicated, I would just do some things differently than I had initially anticipated if that makes sense.

The refinance step is where you pull out this equity, typically in the form of a cash-out refinance.Here’s how it works:You refinance the property at its new appraised value (after rehab and renting).You take out a new loan based on that increased value, ideally for the full amount or more than what you originally paid for the property.The goal is to pull out enough money to cover the cost of the original purchase and rehab (or even more, depending on the property’s appreciation).This allows you to recover your initial investment, which can then be used to buy your next property.5.

If I pay the 3.5%, I need less initial cash, but pay for it with high higher monthly payments eg PMI.

I'll make sure to spend the initial deals learning and asking questions to gain practical insights.

The lender does charge the flipper 4 points upfront, and the note represents 55% of the property’s ARV, so I’m not too worried about needing to foreclose if it comes to that.The lender uses his own capital for initial funding and then sells off the notes after that.

(i.e. initial decorating and painting, bookings, rate structures, marketing, bookkeeping housekeeping, etc)? 

The picture they have on Zillow vs one of the several I have with the same view:I don't know who your current PMC is, but I had to switch from my initial one in Warren, MI as it was taking too long to get a renter placed. 

Would love some feedback before I make the initial buy in. 

You'd hope they won't be that stupid and kill the goose that laid the golden eggs or they'll ultimately pay the price at the ballot box, like the previous Portuguese government.As is often the case, that kind of article sadly doesn't provide the necessary context to the uninformed reader - and I'm not talking about you, of course :).