I'm writing up an offer for my first flip and not exactly sure what else I need to include on the contract other than disclosing that I'm a realtor.

I would rely less on when the time is right, and lean more towards when the deal is write.

Just write all that down on paper and it will be your agreement.  

To help lenders navigate the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures (TRID) Rules, theMortgage Bankers Association (MBA) just released a resource guide written by two of the industry’s top compliance experts, Richard Horn and Ballard Spahr.Jeffrey Schummer, MBA’s Vice President of Education Development says, “TRID is 1,888 pages in length and affects every business functioning in the single-family mortgage market.

If you pull comps and write your letter, the appraisal does not have to change his Opinion of Fair Market Value, however he should/has to within the report address why your sales were not utilized and or why they are not considered reasonable comparable alternatives.

Do I ask to see it in writing?

I am an engineering manager for a 25+ member team that designs and develops industrial automated leak and function test equipment.

However, one of the tasks that he gave me was to write down a list of cash investors that I have rounded up over the course of the weeks and send them to him for quality.

My thinking is to update the kitchens with tile, nicer cabinets (stock so they don't break the bank), and add dishwashers (popular in our market) - but keep the other appliances until they stop functioning.

Get a few prices, be smart and write everything down, people tend to forget what a contractor says - and make sure you get everything in writing - hope this helps