I will hit the pavement and stop into a few banks over the next few days.My question is, why are the loan rates not advertised on banks websites for businesses (or investments) as they are for personal (owner occupied) loan rates?

Go talk to a lender (or a few, until you find one that you feel comfortable with and who gives you a good loan package), figure out how much loan you qualify for, get a pre-approval letter, and THEN hit the pavement!

asphalting ?

You need to find someone that is experienced with a great reputation and is willing to pound the pavement. 

People hearing pavement scratching and snow smashing before 5am and getting woken up is irritating to some people.I suppose people will complain either way.  5am and its too loud.  8am and they're snowed in and complaining about that too, haha.

The tenants put carpet down in the basement and some green tarp on the asphalt backyard which really has spruced it up a bit but that's it as far as improvements.

All looked like a go, so I started beating the pavement for money, it took awhile but I did it.

The siding on the house was this terrible brown scabish siding (asphalt shingle looking), so that had to go as well.

A metal or flat roof is going to cost more than a truss roof with asphalt shingles. 

Simply because they are doing it day after day, they may be aware of opportunities that are challenging to find on your own.Most of the successful, off-market buyers and wholesalers I know pound the pavement and/or spend thousands in advertising, and you could certainly take that route.