If you have a good interest rate right now, it might be better to try to find a lender who will use the knowledge of that equity existing to partially lend against rather than one forcing you to physically pull it out and screw up your primary residence loan terms.

When I have a plain vanilla commercial deal I go to a plain vanilla commercial lender (ones that have physical branches that you drive by every day) because they have the best rates, but when I have a deal that doesn't fit in a nice clean box, or is under their thresholds, or is too big for me to qualify, I go to one of these other non-traditional lenders. 

So things that are a red flag for me may be fine for someone who is more aggressive, etc..1) Portfolio matching: (takes 30 seconds per deal)a) Have an educated opinion on where you think we are in the real estate cycles (financial and physical market cycles)b) Then only then pick the strategies, capital stack, and specialized asset subclasses that make sense for that opinion.

Has a physical override like a key in case the electronic lock fails so someone can get in without breaking a window or something.At the moment I have a Schlage Connect lock which integrates itself with a zwave hub.

If you want to own the physical property, then don't look for new ways to do very basic things.  

Appraisal came in a little low, but overall very pleased.Worst part was I had to physically go to Washington D.C. because an error in their system with my application.In the end I got a $100,000 line for 10 years at 3.90% (floating rate), cost me $1200 in fees.

I emailed Spartan again explaining the danger they'd put my agent in and asking them how they could remedy the situation since I felt getting the tenant out should have been their responsibility and suggesting they cover the cost as a courtesy, at this point, to change locks and cover my mortgage during the wasted time they cost me.Their response was that it was me who asked to have someone else handle the property and that they had a leasing agent physically go there on the 14th and it was vacant so they knew it was vacant.

In MA (super tenant friendly) if he does not leave and you start the court process, he can ask the judge for up to one year to stay before you can physically move him out (he would have to pay use and occupancy during that time, but still he is there)Also check your notice statutes. if you give him notice today Dec 1 in MA he would have until the end of January to vacate.

Outside of researching things online what are some things that I cannot find out without physically being in the area?

Being out-of-country, we face multiple challenges like not being able to drive-by to check out foreclosures, no "driving for dollars", no physical monitoring of maintenance work, not being able to sign mortgage loan forms without a notary (which is expensive), having no credit score and hence making it difficult to take any loans, checking the neighborhood out physically at different times of the day, etc...