There is so much that you can only learn from either doing it and making mistakes, or building relationships with people that are already doing it.

Sounds like you have a good relationship but damn she could take you for a ride if you go in blind.

I suggest you cultivate professional relationships locally, having professionals as your center of influence can be very beneficial.

Continuing to build new relationships and growing my real estate business in the lakes region of NH.

While all of the screening process is important, the credit score is the first and primary thing I look at, and seems anecdotally across hundreds of interactions I've had with landlords to be the single best determinant of whether the relationship will work out. 

How to Vet a Lender - these are questions you should be asking lenders to vet them to make sure it will be a fruitful relationship How to build a long-term relationship with a lender - You want to grow your investing business, therefore you need someone to join you on the ride.

Also, what is the relationship between an investor and an agent?

I'd suggest building relationships with 2-3 PMs in your market and have them on standby so you aren't scrambling last minute if/when things start getting overwhelming

The money saved would allow me to better fund the rehab.Would appreciate opinions on forgoing a buyers real estate agent to represent me since I live there, know the market, and already have a relationship with the seller, have access to the property, etc. 

Next, I'd like to find a long-term lease and create mutually beneficial landlord-tenant relationships with owners, that also wouldn't mind me renting their properties as STR's.