There are so many different factors at play...your goals, your next deal, the situation at hand of your LTV, credit score, loan amount, etc...that affect the available terms and whether it's best to go 15yr or 30yr.It's always best to work with an investor-friendly lender that has your interests in mind, and can work with you to strategize a few moves ahead, like chess.  

I had a friend recommend the site to and from what I see so far I think I'm going to like here. 

Thanks friends

Bay Area crew is super active and friendly, don't hesitate to reach out to anyone. 

If you're not living rent free, I would find a way to temporarily get into one of my properties, or stay with friends/family till you get on your feet.Use this as the motivation you need to get out there and find another job.

Correct, I use real estate agents for rough numbers as they are less expensive, obviously not as accurate but good enough for his purposes..

What would you recommend using in doing an initial analysis on a property before approaching an investor friendly realtor for a CMA?

@Michael Clevenger just make sure that if you follow @Brandon Ingegneri suggestion you find an Investor Friendly Title company that can do this for you and not mess up the deal with the FHA loan, what Brandon says can be done and you recover your money + interest in the long run.

I have some friends and business partners who may be willing to form a partnership. 

My friends and family caution me that what I'm about to do will ruin my life but I don't want fear of the unknown destroy a potential future avenue ahead for me.