I also would not sign up for any website that charges a sign-up fee.

Expecting to get accurate answers to complex legal questions on a public forum so you can safe the $275 consulting fee of experienced legal counsel 10.

Primary strategy is to fix and flip with a back up plans being LTR or STR given that it's located in an STR Friendly HOA with low fees.

Am in agreement with @Theresa Harris ... rents should be raised, if not to market rate, to at least cover the mortgage and real estate taxes and HOA expenses. 

They can negotiate their fee with you and the seller to ensure they're compensated for the work they are doing.~ Lindsey

Rates for DSCR on a purchase today with good FICO should be in the low 7s so just run Market Rent Divided by estimated PITI and if you're above 1.0 then you don't need to worry about the appraiser's opinion of that basement (my gut says appraisal gives no credit to projected rent out of the unfinished basement... but perhaps it doesn't matter?)

Have refinancing rates gotten better or is it recommendable to wait until next year to see what happens?

Just make sure the existing location has a "ceiling fan" rated box, not just a typical light box.

The easiest way to have a quick turnaround is to find a wholetail deal....a deal that you get off the market and then put back on the MLS to sell at market rate....maybe all you did was clean up and paint.Here in Chicago, all deals are hard to come by right now...what city are you in?

Due to interest rates and overall market conditions, sourcing SHF or small multifamily LTRs that cash flow is still challenging unless you're putting down a significant amount or finding deals off-market.Nevertheless, my team and I still have an extensive network of investors focusing on SFH deals and small multifamily acquisitions.