I would use the extra cash to make extra payments and if my calculations serve me well, I would get rid of PMI (another 450 or so a month) in about 6 - 7 years. 

They usually have different funds that are made up of a mix of banking, real estate, communications, ect..

It's usually shoddy workmanship with cut-corners to fool the perspective homebuyer.

They will usually be fine with that. 

However, I do know that most banks and mortgage brokers usually require that the property has been "seasoned" before refinancing.

Do you have any outputs you use that are worth the extra money because they help you in some way? 

MLS and Loopnet tend to be picked over and usually don't have anything larger than 4 or 5 units. 

Does anyone have any ideas on what a fair return  would be when apporaching certain family members or associates for the purpose of investing some extra money they have in my 1st buy and hold real estate purchase.  

She could do a quit claim to her husband, then he could execute the special warranty deed.The old contract for deed was a go-to strategy back in the day, usually done improperly and full of flaws they rarely were pulled off as agreed, now besides the determination of sale issues with the IRS, these now get into other title matters, wrongful foreclosures, lost deeds, pre-arranged unlawful deed transfers and/or predatory lending/dealing issues.

This is a fee that is usually charged in commercial transactions for the banks legal division to draw up the loan documents.