Regarding avoiding squatters, there is no guaranteed strategy to avoid it. 

I wouldn't include any utilities in rent if it can at all be avoided, even with solar. 

Here's what we do (copied from our website):Screening ApplicantsPoor screening often results in lost rents, legal & court costs and costly damages.Screening of applicants includes the following:Full credit/eviction/criminal checks are done, instead of score-driven reportsVerification of rental history includes validation of actual property owner to avoid fraudVerification of stability of income & employment via YTD paystubs & W-2(s) (analyzed to confirm not fakes)Income is calculated 3 ways to spot stability anomalies: pay period, YTD average and YTD + W-2 average.Debt-to-income analysis (more accurate than traditional 3x rent requirement)Bank statement to see if NSF issues, if deposits support income, prove MoveIn Funds, also analyzed for unusual transactions.Pet screeningHolding Fee required from approved applicants to make sure they are serious, before your property is marked pending.

I had calculated my return based on a 75%LTV, ended up doing a 60% to avoid higher fees on closing costs Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

The second refinance is generally easier because you already have all of your documents and personal information on file and credit reports are good for (90) days to avoid multiple pulls.

Then I'd tell my tenant they should post a review about how they repeatedly stayed home and the company never showed up and should be avoided.

Holding cost was the reason we bought the property with cash to avoid the expense while we were renovating.

Thereby avoiding a "No assignment" clause in the purchase contract and doing a double closing with the associated fees?

To avoid the tax hit, you're planning on a 1031 exchange. 

Sometimes you make more by raising slowly to market and avoiding turnover.