They like cookie cutter, by the book deals that fit their box. 

This entire scenario is pretty much the cookie cutter example of most deals that I see.

It is not a cookie cutter answer, and really depends on the property, location and if you have consistent guest demand based on that.

As landlords, we have to throw away our cookie cutters!

I would have already taken action when they stopped paying and simply done an eviction for nonpayment of rent which should be cookie-cutter to do.

Yes, we have used this strategy 3 other times and all 3 times the appraisal and refinance have went as planned.Two of them were 3 families in New Britain and 1  of them was a 2-family in Plainville.Those were cookie cutter multi-families though, but we deemed the potential cash flow from this property to be worth the educated risk of the potential appraisal issue on the back end.  

I believe it will be key to fast tracking this rig!

For example, I know that a new kitchen which includes gutting existing, new cabinets, new granite, new stainless appliances will be around $7k for me on a standard cookie cutter home in CA.

If you build a cookie cutter cabin you're in trouble.

I lease because trucks are stupid expensive, but when you lease them you can get a nice payment for a brand new rig that doesn't break down at all.