I was more asking about what kinds of things to ask them to help qualify they as a future lender/good partner, vs. should I go big or small bank.

Most do not report the balance unless you default so it has little to no bearing on future credit decisions. 

I have purchased a few books on how to invest in multi family units (however this is for the future...) and some other books...

Additionally, any future referrals, whether contractors to agents, I am open to hearing it all. 

That way you can show you have done your homework and know what you are talking about and can also show him how well the property will perform and provide for you both in the future.

You can either enforce your lease or let the tenant know that you wont enforce your rules and hope for the best when they break other provisions in the lease....your choice.The middle ground is to let the tenant know that she is in violation of the lease and this is grounds for eviction if the issue is not corrected..... you will not enforce that provision if he goes through the standard tenant screen and is placed on the lease.These are small issues and not worth making a huge issue out of, BUT they set the precedent on how tough you run your properties....are you a pushover or are you someone to not try and take advantage of..... how you approach this situation may have future impact on other things that come up.If this is a good tenant, in a nice property and there aren't any issues, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it, but I would not just ignore the fact that she is breaking a provision in the lease...that gives them the impression that they can do whatever they want

Beware of costly repairs that can ruin your future cash flow. 

I currently have 3 dogs; a German Shepherd, Black lab, and a chihuahua, however, something has occurred to me several times already, how am I going to handle me having 3 dogs if in the future my tenants have pets?

Probably not, considering that 10 years ago it was the worse economic crisis in at least 70 years since the Great Depression.BUT, if those who did not understand that it was a FANTASTIC time to invest once the crisis was over, even if the same thing occurs, their risk intolerance will probably steer them to the investments that won't appreciate the most, and that is unfortunate.This is really about education in the long run.People have to add to their inventory of skill sets for an investor the ability to calculate and understand appreciation and other future values.It's the only way to get used to the psychology that things change in the future and where you buy can either capture that change if it's good, or avoid it if it is not.I just can't believe people make a decision on an Investment based on one single calculation for today, usually the Cash on Cash Return, and then completely ignore all future economics.That's like the squirrel that doesn't bother saving his nuts for the winter because he has a lot around in the fall when they dropped off the trees.Good thing squirrels can think about the future value of saving his nuts!

Also, for future reference, when I receive business cards from investors, should I just simply ask them if they would like to be on my cash buyers list?