Do you think 5.50% is a good interest rate or should I shop around for a lower rate?

or bad (if you bought those SFH at the peak in a sub-market like so many cities in the US today, you're underwater still).Not to say you can't achieve diversification with RE as well (i.e buy a REIT); to me, for pure income / cash flow, that's my preferred direction (buy a REIT; I get good diversification, it's property managed, I don't have to worry about maintenance or repairs or whatever else; just a solid cash flow / income stream in the asset class (apartments, shopping malls, whatever else) that I choose).For appreciation though, I think of RE like picking individual stocks or a business to buy; if you have the time, the skills, and the patience - you can make outsized gains compared to the overall market.

I shopped around for a long time and sat through several live and online sales pitches for months before I found someone who was legit and genuinely interested in my success rather than just hype.

Can ZeneHome actually be my mortgage/insurance broker and automatically shop the market for better rates?

You just have to shop around.

Use that as your base and shop around.  

I shopped around for a long time and sat through several live and online sales pitches for months before I found a program who's people were genuinely interested in my success rather than just hype.

If they are stricter, I suggest just using a mortgage broker who can shop amongst many banks.

If you "shop around" or try for more than a couple of loans and a credit card per year this can lower your score by 70 points!

My family and I are currently renting month to month and are "home shopping".