Ask your local credit union they will give u better rate , Ltv and also  ask them if you can get the appraisal your self or they going to   Do it with their own appraisal..  

If you your self cannot get a multi family have you thought about doing a partnership with someone for either a flip/buy hold?

Esp if you're not looking to self-manage, a lower-tier prop will most likely not produce the net returns you're expecting.

I have always been self employed so I don't have the luxury of company retirement benefits and so on!

Many members are experts in their respective fields related to real estate investing, whether that is real estate brokerage, wholesaling, flipping, buy and hold, lending, self-directed IRA and Solo 401k investing, or tax and legal guidance.There are some pretty cool discounts on various products and services offered as Perks to BP members that you might want to check out: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/pro

Also, if self-directed companies offer any events of their own or are invited to speak at someone else's events, there's a high chance you will meet private lenders there as well.

The difference between your adjusted cost basis and the net sales price when you sell is the profit you will pay tax on.Tax when your primary intent is to flip is at your ordinary income rate which could include federal, state, self employment, and ACA surcharge (as much as 40% depending on where you live and pay tax).  

Definitely hook up with @Shaun Hunt and see if you can share resources.Your experiences are both educational and a bit of self-discovery about where your risk level is. 

There may be a further due to find out if he can transfer the property title to LLC once the property is paid off (The repayment plan is in 3 years or less) or have it transferred to LLC once the company has had the sufficient time to establish its credit but that would of course mean that we would have to pay for underwriting twice.If there is a blindside to this I am not aware of please freely share your thoughts.2.

California subjects estates to probate at very low thresholds, and often having a Will is not sufficient to avoid probate.These are all things you will want to discuss with your attorney and CPA.