You are starting off with a $10k to $15k deficit by not checking the Agency boxes, that deficit needs to be zeroed out one way or another (fees, rate, terms, etc) before the portfolio lender can even consider making an actual profit (relative to the other opportunity, lending that $500k to a vanilla ho-hum W2 couple buying a primary residence, etc, where there's an automatic guaranteed freshly minted $10,000 bill [it's a two-party bill, btw,  Trump and Biden's faces both appear on this $10,000 bill together] guaranteed to come their way).The sticker shock is sufficient that I try to avoid quoting non-Agency portfolio rates/fees/etc entirely, unless someone specifically requests it. 

One thing that I found is that if you put up Home Security Alarm stickers (like ADT) then that alone can deter criminals even if you don't have an actual system.

There’s a bumper sticker that goes: “ lack of planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my mine “

Ask for close up photos as well as the "glamor shots" I want photos that give me a look at the home "through the eyes of an investor" - PRO TIP: take a photo of the sticker on the AC unit, google the serial number and you will know the year the unit was manufactured. 15.

It's possible you just had sticker shock from a full rehab.  

I was a bit sticker shocked. 

Buyers tend to get sticker shock since they think these are the same.

Then with different colored stickers (dots) I will concentrate my attributes (where was my direct marketing going, properties with 100% equity, concentration of probates, returned mail and concentration of vacant homes for my driving-for-dollars campaigns, etc ).

@Ronnie Galindo Once you are over the sticker shock, I would suggest to partner up with someone and do local investing unless you get to a point where you want to buy a 20-50 unit apartment building out of state.

Sometimes great insurance is counter productive and can be seen as a "come sue me and get paid", sticker if you get invited to one of those law suit parties.