I would think your a slam dunk at a bank.. but Visio is for real.and your smart to know that there are all sorts of fake lenders on the internet.good place to start is to see if they are licensed and then look up their license.. also dont let the tax dog wag your tail.. sometimes its best just to take your cash pay cap gains at these historic low rates then to buy something that is not going to do much for you.and if you don't get the benefit of no state income tax in Texas i would be cautious with that state prop tax's and other weather issues. 

You can fight and lose or adjust your investment plans. 

Depending on where you live and where you're buying SFH, you may get a better risk adjusted return. 

I currently do not own a home and rent myself so I see the benefits of locally purchasing a multifamily unit to use as my primary residence and REI.

This is precisely the benefit of having a buyer's agent. 

You have the wonderful benefit of having lived there, so that is huge. 

Make few adjustments and use the average.What your initially doing is identifying possible properties to evaluate in more detail.  

You get the tax benefits of the mortgage interest and should be able to easily beat the 5% or so mortgage interest rate you'll be charged. 3.

Putting this all on a calendar that you and your subs can see and track will benefit all parties involved. 

Do I need to just keep plugging along and success will come or adjust my settings?