If you want the best rate, I would find the cheapest online lender you can find where you are number 37 out of 70 for the month.

It's just old mom and pop owners, many do not even list the rentals online. 

https://www.lawmrm.com/jon-mcgraw/  Just call and make an appointment or request one online on his site. 

I’d suggest checking out real estate networking events (local or online) like REIAs or BiggerPockets.

You can find online mortgage calculators that allow you to play around and see what happens if you do an extra payment or increase your payments.

I didn't invent this, it's the metrics of online media today. 

I'd rather have a property remain vacant to I can spend time cleaning up and getting it ready and back-online so it could be available for someone else to rent.

Now when your agent actually does the release then they send it to the listing agent and its is the listing agents responsibility to forward that doc to the sellers we do this all the time via docu sign or hello sign or whatever on line document system the local MLS uses.. somehow you seem to have this backwards..

I really believe that we live in a time where all the information you need to do just about anything is available for free online.

then you take the state test and the federal test to get your NMLS registration..