Since then, my cabins have tripled in value - worth easily $800K or more, and have produced $696,XXX in rents.  

Do not do anything that does not produce income.

A $500k property should produce gross annual income of +/- $50K but can generate as much as $65-70k with the right location and amenities like a hot tub.

This amounts to lost opportunity because if you had purchased RE, at the closing it can start producing return. 5) ADUs detract from the existing structure whether this is privacy, a garage, or just yard space. 6) this is related to number 1, but there are many more buyers looking to purchase homes for their family than there are RE investors looking to purchase small unit count properties.

Your primary home doesn't produce cash flow and is a pure expense.

Top producers are always very pleasant to work with (which does not mean they are soft)3.)

When you go to sell the property, if you produce a certificate of inspection for the wrong number of units, buyer unless you are giving them a great deal and they will throw caution into the wind, would insist on the correct designations.

Once that extra rental started generating income, he realized the higher interest rate was just a temporary hiccup on the way to bigger returns.In your case, maybe look at a structure that keeps your best cash-flow property on a lighter refi (say 50% or 60% LTV) while you go a bit heavier on the one that’s not producing as much right now.

It's more important to own investment income producing property that generates at least 10% annual ROI than it is to own where you live.

The property had a first mortgage, as well as a second mortgage, both from the same purchase money lender.After receiving the trustee’s deed and recording it, I discovered two “Independent Solar Energy Producer Contracts” recorded against the home.