What kind of relationships do they have with maintenance groups or individuals?

Once I've done some homework on the property and everything checks out, I make sure to visit it in person.

They noted, while they can technically go to 75%, in recent deals, they are closer to 65% due to DSCR covenants.And maybe this is expected, but I would anticipate having a personal guarantee, fully-recourse loan for retail.  

Personally, I keep my rent increases to 5-10% while not pushing them all the way up to market rent.

Personally, I negotiate for better price/seller credits + put more money down to min 1:1 DSCR and keep it gucci. 

Ultimately up to how you want to proceed though and what you want/think your relationship with them would look like as a result.

I personally have no interest in buying my own...

They can and often will say 'no' but if you can just get a 'yes' on a single digit fixed rate you're probably better off than any personal or consolidation loan you may get.

It also depends on your price point and budget. because this is going to be your personal residence, at this point, I would just keep aware of city news and developments, and neighborhood pockets.

If anybody has any personal experience or any good books/blogs, I’d love to hear about them – thanks!!