Your credit score does factor in, but your income is a larger part on what we are able to qualify you for. 

He explained that they ran the initial numbers assuming that the property was a 1 unit investment property, and that the new rate for a duplex will be 5.875%.I have a hard time believing this is the best rate I can get.My question for those investors that are more experienced with long term multifamily rentals: is this sort of rate expected?

It's sorted by state and then metro area. :)https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/86-local-real-estate-networking

Yes its a PITA to move in in/out, but not worth the battle for saying no to a pretty basic request.The majority of CA rentals don't supply a refrig..... just stove, dishwasher etc.... not even washer/dryer....some do, but a larger % don't in general.

Make sure someone on your team is experienced or comfortable handling that.If you are interested in taking down larger deals, 80 units or more, I would suggest to stop trying to do it all.

A larger split on the profit or paying them interest during the deal with a smaller split on the profit?

So we had to take them out, reduce the opening sices, order two new windows and dispose the larger ones. 

Question about the appraised value of larger multi-family properties...Is the appraised value based on the NOI of the current rent (or appraiser's estimate of rent)? 

It's possible the tenant is better at this sort of work than both of us but you never really know...If I were in your shoes, I'd have a licensed contractor do plumbing and electrical but that will cost you more.I guess it comes down to whether or not you want to pay more or take a chance the tenant is doing it correctly, in which case you can simply be happy that the tenant is happy and also that he's saving you $, at least in the short run.

This equates to a large monthly debt service and larger holding costs.See here:  https://www.biggerpockets.com/companies/hard-money/location/louisianaAlso check out these:https://nolahardmoney.com/https://www.thekpcgrp.com/realestate/https://limaone.com/https://ironbridgelending.com/Have you looked at using a local bank?