@Wayne Kennoff- thanks   1) getting a personal referral is a good place to start 2) if you have narrowed down the options to a few -  contact both on the same  days and ask them for whatever  quotes  for your scenario ...ask for a loan cost worksheet  if  possible .  ...if their pricing ends up being  the same - make a decsion based on the  feel  for  cutoner  service you get when communicating with them.   3)  make sure they  disclose all the fees  related to the  refinance  ( not just their  own fees ) ..4)  reviews are   hard to  use to make a decision ( as you found out ) 5) rates are pretty high right now for rental  properties ....if you can wait to  refinance - you might consider doing so ...if you need to refinance - so be it ...Good luck 

For the 10 year period spanning May 2014 through May 2024, single-family prices in Austin nearly doubled, yielding an annualized appreciation rate of ~9.2% in that period.A 30-year fixed rate mortgage is sitting around 7% interest, which is down a bit from recent months, but still well above where we began 2024:The Fed monetary policy and rate decisions remain the biggest single driver of the residential real estate market overall.

I'm not sure if it was the best financial decision but now I'm looking to buy another rental and have some money put aside for a down payment.

I understand it’s not the best financial decision but I don’t care.

We are intelligent humans on this site and we have the ability to look at the people that submit a rental application, evaluate their situation and apply a reasonable decision regarding whether or not they are an an acceptable risk client.

If you have any recommendations or are willing to share your experiences, I would greatly appreciate it.As I prepare for the inspection period, I want to ensure I cover all bases and make informed decisions. 

Base your decision on numbers and not speculation. 

Good on you for making the decision you did - bottom line, we have to make hard decisions every day with the data we have stacked against our own experience and professionalism. 

Even though your past decisions got you into debt, you want to borrow more money to make improvements to the things you've neglected for five years?

This may be one of the best decisions you ever made to become and wholesaler.