Additionally, I'm assuming "paid deposit" is earnest money, or no?

The property will be obvious more attractive without additional fee charged to tenants.

We are planning on refinancing and paying off the loan and pulling out additional equity once completed. 

The plan is buy and hold and to re-invest all earnings to buy bigger and more properties. 1031 and cash out refi are two strategies I plan to employ, but I'm not sure how using an SDIRA would change that... if at all.

Your tenants are staying with family so they are not accumulating additional hotel expense. 

Additionally, In the last few days, I have several other motivated seller leads coming in for great fixer up properties but I don’t want to dig to big of a hole before I get something earning income.

@Sunitha Alli in addition to the other's good comments.

Additionally, the properties are all over (two-flat in a suburb of Chicago, a duplex in Austin, TX, a single family home in Ruston, LA and another single family outside of New Orleans.  

Additional books that focus on what you choose could be a good next step.  

First two times payment was made shortly after and additional fees paid.