A loan commitment letter carries more weight as it confirms lender approval, signaling a stronger ability to close.Addressing Closing Concerns: A commitment letter meaningfully reduces concerns, especially when paired with proof of equity and a track record of performance, even if on smaller deals.What Brokers Look For: Key factors are a reputable lender, clear terms in the commitment, and evidence of funds for equity and reserves.

Are there any brands you recommend or would stay away from.

Use the actual NOI, not the pro-forma b/c that is how the property is ACTUALLY performing.

I am very happy with the performance of my portfolio - all my properties are between a 10-13% cap rate.

I will answer as it relates to traditional BRRRR, in the general case there are additional options.  1) Do not perform maximum cash extract.  

As the legally required small print in the offering of financial products reads: "Past performance is no guarantee of future performance".

Let's say you are a brand new investor. 

If you and your husband can perform the same line of work in another state like Florida, Texas, Nevada I would move out of CA as soon as possible. 

At the time there were limited 3 BR rentals in the neighborhood, but achieved such high rental rates the properties ended up performing better as rentals than as a for sale project.

You can also check online resources like BiggerPockets or Roofstock, which offer general CapEx guidelines based on property type and age.These methods should help you perform a solid preliminary analysis.