If the loan amount you are looking for is small relative to the value of the first and the second property combined, they are very well secured on a LTV%; ask for a 1% point lower rate.If you don't want to Cross Collateralize, do you have any CD's or MM you can transfer to this bank as collateral. 

Is the higher price agent inflating to get the listing or is the lower price agent just not keyed in well enough in the specific neighborhood?

All else being equal, lower mortgage rates reduce the cost of ownership and, thereby, allow more people to afford to buy.

If your broker does not have access to lenders that are fine with SCorp, reach out to me, i have a few that have no issues with this.

Cheap houses in lower class neighborhoods will get you cash flow with a lot of headache.

I have access to all lender appraised values in CA so I only need the address.  

Is it true Avail would be providing you access to their credit history? 

If you have access to someone who is ready to trust you with their asset, do right by the owner and go for it!

On houses below $200k, the 70% rule gives you too low of a profit - you need to lower it the lower you go (ie a $100k ARV would probably be a 60% rule).

Obviously you want to lower expenses while maximizing revenue.