So it was managing a risk rather than for profit.I’ll defer to others on mortgage paydown versus investing, other than to say that you may want to consider how far towards your next house / investment property deposit you are with the money instead of recast / investing.James 

If you're living in it now, you'll probably be required to have a signed lease in place as well as proof that first month's rent/security deposit were collected in order to get a DSCR loan (they're business purpose loans and don't allow owner occupancy).

I gotta say, I had a hard time deciding on the monthly rate and deposits.

Each area has its own rules on how it works, but basically, you buy the house, pay a deposit and agree to rehab the house within a certain amount of time.

That’s not to mention any 401k match.  

I am profitable right now (cash flowing between $1200 and $2500 per month depending on the season), but don't have any desire to raise my monthly payment with a cash-out refi (nor am I likely to match my current rate).

I like the one that requires payments to be deposited in an escrow account:New York state law requires that consumers receive a written contract for home-improvement work that exceeds $500.

I suspect all security deposit need to go to the owner or a new PM..

Quote from @Chris Olandese:  I like this too - it's very definitive which matches my work ethic.

We focus on CapEX before beauty. as a realtor we understand selling or renting homes you have to make the home function, Roofing, windows, electrical and plumbing. after we address these we focused on beautify making sure the upgrades match the area and is forward thinking with color scheme, flooring, and flow.