Possibly just one off with this specific lender and I need to try to go to someone else. 

@Martin BrownAlso the reality is if you are trying to forecast numbers, the second you hit enter they are wrong as nothing goes the way you modeled it.The important thing to consider when modeling is to have data as accurate as possible (garbage in garbage out), but most importantly (and this is where investors miss the boat), what is the sensitivity to the numbersFor example if doing a flip with hard money, which causes more pain - $20k more to complete, 25k less in sales price or getting the right number but it takes 3 months longer?

Depending upon whether they are a bank or a trust company, custodians are heavily regulated by the IRS, DOL, possibly the FDIC, State Banking Commissioner, and the Comptroller of the Currency.

I'm new to the area and the field so I'm just trying to soak up as much information as possible at the moment.

Yes, it is possible to get a cost segregation study on a property placed into service in the past.There is potentially a requirement to file form 3115 which basically says that you screwed up the depreciation in the past and are therefore recalculating it.

If interest rates come back down, your numbers will look a lot better and scaling might be possible.

So the conclusion is that I'd definitely recommend using auction.com again to buy more rental properties, or possibly to flip.

I’d focus on being the best realtor possible and leave the photography to someone else who is specifically focused on that.

I wanted to know if there are any markets in SoCal (driving distance from LA) that it’s still possible to do full BRRRRRs?

Based on my future goal(s), I'm aiming to purchase a multi with good cash flow and I don't think that'll be possible in the surrounding markets.With that said, I'm considering looking into Pennsylvania and Delaware....maybe Jersey too?