@Kiet Tran if they are both strong rentals, why not both at the same time with the same lender? 

I would strongly consider self managing using the tools that Vrbo and Airbnb provide.Drop all this in a spreadsheet and see what the net profit could look like with a best and worst cast scenario.

BP is full of great content, so I strongly recommend you to have a look at the following resources: 1.

I'm slowly become familiar with the place, strongly suggest you do the same.

Taking out a long term hard money loan on a home in the West End that you expect to gross $4k because you expect strong appreciation... honestly there are a lot of red flags to me on this one, but then again I don't know all the details.

I also would strongly consider getting trash pickup weekly for an apartment building as trash every two weeks sounds like a terrible idea. 

I believe the operator is trying not to break any rules but also strong arm the price up but I am still newer to this so I wanted to see if anyone else has any advice on this.Thank you!

I work in financial management for the Air Force but really want to switch to CRE (commercial real estate) as I have developed a strong passion for real estate.

RegardIess, I strongly endorse his service of analyzing properties before you buy them even if you use a separate realtor.   

As for your last question - a good agent will present a strong offer to the seller so they are more willing to provide up to 3% back towards closing.