Great perspective—turning this into an opportunity to stabilize the property and add value is key.

Everything is about DSCR from a banks perspective nowadays. 

Let me break this down for you from a lender’s perspective:1.

If it's tight or you're uncomfortable with the tenant you have in there from a confidence perspective, especially if this is a first deal, maybe meet in the middle and get a lender at 75% or 77% (doesn't HAVE to be at 5% increments) that wont make you season, and leave a bit more money in the deal, but sleep better.Overall, if I cash flow well, have/keep reserves, and am comfortable I fixed everything in the house, I like to max out the LTV on refi.

While I agree the rent by the room strategy can be great if you know how to manage it well, from a lending perspective, a lot of 30 year DSCR note buyers won't allow properties with individual room leases, so it could make refinancing more challenging. 

Ben,First from a Bankers point of view you are over extended from an LOC perspective and its hurting your DTI and future approvals. 

Here’s some perspective:1% Rule: Meeting the 1% rule is a good sign, especially with many markets struggling to hit this benchmark.Cash-on-Cash (COC) Return: 8.73% is decent, especially with today’s higher interest rates.

Just wanted an outside perspective. 

As a local investor, I always recommend starting where you live—it gives you a better grasp of the market and makes management easier.From a purely numbers perspective, investing in a high-cost coastal market like San Diego has allowed me to grow my wealth far more quickly than I ever could in the Midwest.

I appreciate the perspective.