I am a lender that works with a lot of Canadian clients investing in the U.S. specifically Florida who are often comparing their Canadian bank with lending options based in the U.S.

I’ve referred her to my customers as well and have had good experiences.

It’s essential to recognize that all investments carry assumptions and risks, but informed decisions are based on historical data and trends.

Hey Alison - You don't typically need proof of income for a fix and flip loan, they are more asset-based.

If you have any thoughts of self-managing a growing portfolio of rentals then this could be a good opportunity to grow your knowledge-base from first hand experience.- Work with the best PM company you possibly can for the units you don't live in and compare the units of work involved in your management of the professionally managed units vs your self-managed units. 

Im happy to share any info I have based on my personal expierences along with my referl network.

You are obligated to provide the oldest verifiable operating statement (base year), which is adjusted into today's dollars (Using an LA City formula for inflation) and this is compared to your current year (yes with receipts, cancelled checks, bank statements, k1's etc), which can be significant. 

Also a very good point about the railing on porches being required based on height of the porch.

A 1031 exchange can be a good option because although there is no cash involved in the deal, you would still recognize a gain based on the fair market value of the properties being received over the basis of the property you're giving up (if it's a gain).

This will help guide you to the best cities based on your expectations.