This isn't legal advice, just my opinion as a real estate investor.

Even though this  might not technically be against the rules some might think it goes against the spirit of the rules (in my opinion)  I am sure there are loan officers who will have a different take but truly the devils in the details.  

Good places to network are Black Diamond and Multifamily Investors Network, in my opinion.

Living where you are doing business in my opinion will cut the learning curve a lot!

Ive been educating myself daily and taking steps to launch my business but I love to get multiple opinions and/or facts about the industry.

Should I go to a different lender to see their opinion?

Contrary to the opinions of those that think differently, for those of us that actually work with REO's in a bank, no, we don't care where you put your money and in fact, cannot consider it in any of our decision making processes.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of different opinions on this because every landlord has their own way of doing business.

Trust is a huge factor in my opinion.

Your KPI in this business in my opinion is your rent roll and P & L statements.