I have people pay a NON-REFUNDABLE Reservation fee (1/2 month rent) that is applied to the first month's rent when they pay the rest of the move in funds (all deposits and a full month's rent) and sign the lease for me to hold a place for up to 14 days.

Well, I'll quote FannieMae.com directly here:"Borrowed funds secured by an asset are an acceptable source of funds for the down payment, closing costs, and reserves, since borrowed funds secured by an asset represent a return of equity.Assets that may be used to secure funds include automobiles, artwork, collectibles, real estate, or financial assets, such as savings accounts, certificates of deposit, stocks, bonds, and 401(k) accounts."

If he’s a top 20% Realtor then he has had this convo before, it’s the nature of the business.

Reserved Parking adds value no matter what if you are already less than 2 spots per unit. . 

These line items are meant to be reserves you stash away for a rainy day, so there's no harm in over-estimating them. 

You also need to be aware that custodians are passive in nature and simply process transactions at your direction.

We did this to keep more cash available for future deals, and to have reserves on hand.

Naturally, I spoke with my network, letting them know that I was pursuing my RE Estate license.

These are reserves that you set aside every month, so that when something eventually needs replacement (i.e. roofs, foundation, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc.), you have the reserves set aside to pay for it without killing your cash flow for the year. 

I know Total Wine has classrooms you can reserve free and request free tasting.