@Ashley Knodel Lowe's typically has great deals on appliances and as far as brands, whatever great deal you run into (that are known to also be of good quality) will do.

Professional who can possibly do the work quickly and quality job. 

I used Lowes on my first several rehabs, but once I started getting more into it, I met people who told me about my now cabinet and counter supplier that is better quality for 1/3 the price since they don't have a show room and only work with industry professionals essentially.

Credit is a tool that when used wisely can certainly speed things up, but be smart and show the banks their money is safe with you.

The material they use is I believe better quality, and they have experience with how to strip and reglaze the tub.

Are their listings detailed with good quality photos?

There were many deals that I had to pass on because the/a lender was not running at my same speed.

I can recommend some if needed.In my opinion, the learning that comes from remote management speeds up the skillset of any investor.

My goal is to have 20k to invest and to be safe I want an extra 5k to have a backup in case of unplanned costs due to inexperience in the buying process, having vacancy the first months, etc...Question 1: Does it make sense to minimize my 401k contribution to nearly nothing to speed up my savings for REI?

To increase the processing speed, there was no vetting process.