At the end of the day all the decisions are yours to make.Managing rental properties is tough, it’s time-consuming, and often comes at a considerable cost in terms of stress and heartache.

I tried online and it was getting too time-consuming to get the info and coverage I wanted. 

I provided all of the paperwork proving that he himself made the charge (as a policy, we don't take any CCs over the phone, nor collect any CC information) and the bank still sided with the consumer. 

You're consuming cash you could use for something else (unless you're paying PMI, and trying to get rid of the PMI.) 

What tips and tricks have you learned along the way to make it a smoother, less time-consuming process? 

@Ryan Ebzery I’m a little contrarian so what I usually recommend to folks is that they try looking where fewer other people are looking.

I am overwhelmingly confident that had I moved, my professional career would have not progressed as fast or as well as it had here in the bay and I’d have likely encountered fewer wealth creation opportunities.

I agree that buying right matters, but don't get so consumed by the idea of finding a great deal that you let a year go by without buying. 

These questions aren't meant to scare you, just to give you some talking points for the attorney you choose who would draft the operating agreement.Otherwise, generally speaking, there are fewer 4-units out there than 3-units, but you'll probably get a slightly better deal on a per-unit basis, so I think it's great that you've narrowed your focus so much!

What makes you a consumer (bad) or a professional borrower (good).