After reading around on BP and doing some independent research I think it is safe to say we are not at the bottom or declining, but we are at the peak?

A lot of installers are independent contractors, so you're lucky if you can make the installer repair or pay for damage.   

Not only am I interested in financial independence, but I also want to do it in style!

I will never forget about asking a California auditor how he came up with his "statistical sample" and he said it was an "independently selected statistical sample". 

I am independently contracted through my Property Management Company and this leaves some free time to pursue other aspects of Real Estate- especially investing.I also dabble in the Airbnb industry.Around the same time as I was becoming a Leasing Agent, I also began running numbers for a local foreclosure investment company- analyzing the comparables in the home's market, and advising potential investors as to what their home would make in cash flow as a rental.I have caught the investment bug, particularly in foreclosure and house hack markets. 

I've spent years doing this in dozens of cities across the country so it's definitely a passion independent of my passion for real estate. 

As far as the umbrella goes - find an independent agent and they will be able to access what's called an insurance wholesaler and possibly find a company that provides coverage for your unique situation.

Like the majority of us on here, my overall goal  is to gain financial independence through owning  multi-family rental properties and also gain experience in fix & flips.   

I'd considered refinancing (but not for equity release) last year anyway since I knew my rate would be increasing but never got around to it, that was also way before I'd discovered the concept of financial independence and RE investing.So with all this in mind, should, or could I... refi my primary residence mortgage and use this equity as cash towards a rental investment Multifamily??

One of our main goals is to get out of the corporate world and become financially independent doing RE.