I will reach out to you this week so we can get in touch.Thanks

So the answer Ed, only you can give, what's your "zen"?

I’ve helped a lot of new investors like yourself navigate this decision, so let me share a bit of what I’ve seen.A local bank can be great if you value face-to-face relationships.

Electricity can also spike in the summer with A/C.

If I believe the prep work as at fault and can show that then I just would refuse to pay until it gets corrected.

I recently learned that if you owner occupy a residence for part of the 5 previous years before sale, and you rent it for the remaining time, you can calculate the percentage of time the property was owner-occupied (and thus qualifies for the sec. 121 primary sales tax exemption of up to $250k for single filers) vs the time it was being rented (which qualifies for 1031 exchange) and claim both benefits. https://hcsequity.com/blog/combining-1031-exchange-with-121-....How does this work for a multi-family?

Yes, you can do a cash out refinance on a property owned free & clear!

Your blended rate will be better and you can focus on hammering away at the 2nd mortgage which is the higher interest rate. 

I have a good enough income that I don't NEED to sell it for money right now, and even with a property tax bill close to $15k, I believe that beachside property in Carlsbad is a great asset (it's not like they can just make more of it).

Yes it can be worth it, just don't expect to get rich quick lolMidterm rental has been my strategy and I'll definitely be sticking to it for the next few years.