I'd just add that my wife and I have purchased or borrowed separately to help not max out. 

I've got a borrower who's been shopping for months now.  

Borrowing more money = higher monthly payment.

Given that by focusing more on my own properties I am going to be virtually eliminating paying work from clients that I would otherwise be doing, should I figure in a wage for myself alongside the wage that I pay my employees when deciding how much money to borrow?

Which means if you purchase and manage it correctly, you can increase the income and substantially increase the overall value (even allowing you to borrow against that future equity).But also, there's enough going on that you want to be sure that you do not misjudge or properly conduct your due diligence.Please let me know if I can help.Scott  

If you're a bankable borrower you could find a small bank/ credit union that offers HELOC's on investment properties.

I wanted to get some advice from agents, other lenders as well as borrowers on lending best practices and what you look for in a conventional lender.

In your experience, is it hard to find deals that work when you are borrowing 100% essentially? 

@Harvey Roberts welcome to the BP community, when it comes to borrowing capital with most traditional lenders, especially when it gets to the lower amounts will be difficult. 

Just from a simple conversion about your financial situation, a lender can tell you about how much you'll be able to borrow and how much you'll have to bring to the table as down payment.