I have no credit card debt or any other debt (ie car  payments, student loans etc).

So glad you've already plugged into the Bigger Pockets podcast - that was a huge source of education for me when I first started.If you haven't already, I would recommend finding a real estate agent that you trust, and also start talking to lenders (banks, mortgage brokers, credit unions, etc.)

I am currently self-employed, have a down payment to invest and good credit. 

Hi Alfred,It sounds like there is some gray area here, but I don't think the PM should charge you 1/2 month's rent for running a credit/background check and then drawing up a lease. 

If they won’t do that I let them know they may be subject to additional costs for collections, and that will hurt their future prospects for rentals as well as other credit based opportunities. 

I have good credit and income.

Ryan,Asset based lenders do not factor in debt or income - only credit, cash flow of property and loan to value.

I’ll PM you for sure.As an update, one thing we realized is that a HELOC on the property to be flipped (appraised for $85k) would essentially destroy our credit (large loan for a short period, closing out a line of credit after a short period).  

I’d really like to establish a relationship with a local bank/credit union early on.

So if you hear a bank say "you need a minimum credit score of X"...that is an overlay.