Quote from @Brandon Croucier: Hi Kathy, at the end of the day the mortgage industry is so vast & wide it's essentially like trying to navigate the Sahara Desert.I highly recommend working with an experienced mortgage broker who knows the ins and outs of the industry to place you into the most competitive product for you.More times than not, people save money working with a small shop broker.Kathy,I wanted to revisit this to offer a a tad bit more and Brandon above is correct.

Also go through a servicing company for payments to the seller, escrow can probably help you out with a recommendation for that. 

@Anthony Acosta another recommendation you connect with @Samuel Eddinger!

Would appreciate your input, contacts or recommended podcasts to follow.1.  

My best recommendation would be to find someone who is doing something similar to what you hope to do in the space and have a coaching call or two.

I would greatly appreciate any guidance, resources, or recommendations you may have for someone in my position.

FYI, we were able to get a 5.5% rate from their recommended lender with 20% down.  

Ineffective or Absent Conflict Resolution ProcessEvery successful group of people needs an effective conflict resolution process characterized by:simplicity to understand and remember;quickness to start and complete;a clear vocabulary.My company, Livingsmith uses and recommends the 5-on-5 Process for conflict resolution in co-living homes.2.

I'd recommend starting with the lower hanging fruit than a large basement reno - if your comps are close but don't quite get you to your number.Finishing the basement (with proper egress) could push you over the top, but confirm with an appraiser first to ensure it counts.

I would only recommend purchasing items that fall into that vision.