You'll get the right person, just be prepared to show it a LOT.Both mine were total rehabs - and they showed great.

I initially planned to leave my wife's name off of my investment ventures so that if something went wrong and I go bankrupt, it's just my credit that's affected and not both of ours.

Or do I find the potential deal, run the comps and prepare what I plan to offer, then approach the HML with the proposal, get a letter of intent from the HML (if they like the deal), and then put in my offer to the seller?

I was just never cognizant of how they were picked up and did not prepare. 

Be prepared to give them good details on what exactly you want done.You know the scope of work better than me.When it comes down to thumb in the wind estimates you can find national averages for almost any type of rehab work.

  #1 Federal Historic tax credits will ultimately return somewhere between $15,000 - $18,000 in federal income taxes next year #2 Historic homes have character that short term renters value & will pay additional for in their short term rental experience#3 Completely remodeling a home with high-end finishes will probably not pay off for long term rentals, but does seem to in the short term market. 

I credit that to having a clear and outlined checklist for the tenant to follow during move out to insure they get their full deposit back. 

How many bankruptcies can I have before I’m considered bad credit?

I’ve had an easy time renting (low vacancy), easy time collecting money (low credit risk), and very limited damage.

My credit score is improving, but not the greatest.