But obviously, we have spent the better part of 20 years on the buyer's side of the table, so we are looking for some general advice, tips/tricks, or even the pitfalls of setting up a hard money lending arm to augment our current business model. 

I hope you make a few connections so you can meet across the table and get the advice you need.

I believe value add is still on the table, and an even more enticing option now with rates from the looks of it on a downward trajectory.

Likewise, loan points are amortized over the life of the loan and I have them in a separate sub-table of the fixedAssets, but unless they pull up the original journal entry you can't tell which loan they pair with, and it seems like a stretch for the CPA to track down that the loan was refinanced and hence all the remaining depreciation should be taken now. 

The main reason I bring that up is because you'll find that a lot of househack options in NYC & LI don't make too much sense on paper for the first 3-5 years, unless you bring a large downpayment to the table. 

If you read about transfer taxes at the PA Dept of Revenue website, you should be able to find a document with a table where you would look up that factor. 

I have it at around $5K for a quality living and dining setup (sectional, accent chairs, coffee table, tv, rug, dining set for 6).

My employee was giggling when they told me the attorney taking testimony from them banged on the table, angry and yelling "we got screwed".

Beyond that, there is a MACRS depreciation on the table and is once again available depending on your situation. 

Hey @Yonathan Cabrera, it isn't off the table as this article points out:https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/va-loan-for-investment-...At your age, I might look into buying a 4 plex and live in one and rent the other 3 as long term rentals.Essentially you have to occupy the property within 60 days, then you can buy another one after a year, rent the last unit and do it all again.This is where occupancy requirements for VA loan rental properties come in.