I will, of course interview and do my own due diligence with these companies, but I just wanted to get an idea from everyone that could possibly give me a heads up on who's great or who to stay away from.

I’d also reach out to the Hancock County Planning Department to get a feel for how flexible they might be on replating and rezoning—better to get ahead early.For renovations, if you don’t have boots on the ground yet, ask for referrals through local investor-friendly agents.

So when I got off the phone with the attorney's office, I called Titan, had a good experience on the phone with them, and went ahead with setting up an account. 

So by the time you sell it and deal with tenant issues, you really do not get ahead.

Can I assume reserve price will be the same 180k or do you think FM has a formula in place in which they are ok to let go at X% below their "purchase" price so as to not be left with the house on their hands ?

Get an attorney ASAP, not just to protect your own interests but to get ahead of others in the same boat who may be considering the same thing.

I would just go ahead and pay him the $2,000 and get it in writing that he will not pursue you going forward and then set better systems & expectations in place to avoid this problem in the future, lesson learned.

Do they schedule the inspections ahead of time or just show up randomly and unannounced?

In either instance, you were able to use the cash out for something and if you had left the interest rate alone, over time you would come out ahead (unless of course he put you into an interest only loan or something crazy).You're right that refinancing so many times can eat up your principal and since you were the one that signed the papers, it is your fault, but I stand by the assertion that no one got rich on one point.Stephanie 

Just a heads up.