The picture I tried posting above shows that this one lender sent me closing figures including 11 line items (lender processing, appraisal, title insurance, etc.)3) When I am ready to pull the trigger on my refi, should I just apply to all the lenders that were within the same ballpark and get their disclosure so I can do as much of a apples to apples comparison as possible?  

maybe its a cultural thing.. in certain cultrals its cut throat barter no one tells the truth. but in apple pie America and older folks .. they cant imagine someone not telling the truthand thats why you have the FTC and other agencies protecting the public from those that would just flat lie about the true value of a home.  

Whatever your rent payment would be elsewhere, add that to rental income of a house hack for apples to apples.

Maybe cull the bad apples old school like by public shaming.

Since I was fairly young, I bought aggressive stocks that had lots of potential like Apple, fb, Google, Netflix etc.

I thought about it and realized that to compare apples to apples, I should be looking 30 years out, and comparing:A: 30yr refiB: refi for 15 or 20 years and then invest the savings once the mortgage is paid off.I added a column showing the accumulated savings from after year 15 (or 20) when I'd no longer have to pay a mortgage and it completely changes the result.

Break down your scope of work/ project in to tons of sub projects and take a nibble of that contractor apple before eating the whole (often rotten) thing.We paid our guy $100 for that informal inspection and it was a wonderful arrangement and it's a good friendship, as well.

An example: Springs at Apple Valley, https://www.springsapartments.com/apartments/mn/ap...Less focused on the location, and more the concept below. 

If working at Apple campus Liberty Hill may be as far as you want to be but if going downtown Liberty Hill is too far. 

This helps me a) learn more about cost of rehab as a new investor and b) compare quotes on an apples to apples basis, and c) avoid surprises.Some GCs refuse to send me a detailed quote.