I have a few insurance agents that I work with that cover STR properties.

I had to extend the loan once and completed the entire thing in just under 2 years while working full time.

You won't learn anything from crunching numbers until you know what those numbers mean in real life.

Small owner operator and takes pride in his work. 

Since we have not worked with this group before, I am hoping to get some references.

Bank and credit union loans are generally defined as “portfolio lenders,” or lenders that hold the loans on their balance sheets.

I only do it because I'm a REALTOR and property manager in a city of 10,000 and I don't want locals to know what I own.Just remember an LLC (or multiple LLCs) will increase costs, complexity, and workload to your life.

If you are investing consistently, you will know what your market charges for the work needed. 

There are lots of lenders out there that specialize in different things and have different workarounds. by working with the same broker, they'll understand where your priorities lay and since they have a better understanding of your experience, they can push for exceptions that wouldn't normally be approved.I myself am a broker so I may be a bit biased here, but if you do feel that your current broker isn't very good or that they are overcharging you then you can certainly explore other options.

How it works.