or just keep holding out and saving? 

The other heir does not want to keep their share of the home.

Our screening process tends to keep riff raff out, but like any real estate deal we see the occasional problem child and deal with them swiftly before they upset the order of the home.  

Any best practices that has helped keep it under 2%? 

Keeping interest below the cap rate by 1.5-2 points sounds like a great idea!

Keep your JOB.

Traditionally insurance companies collected premiums and invested in the stock market or other vehicles to increase their income.

I spoke with the lender we used for our home mortgage, and he recommended against it, but I feel it is because he does not offer loans to LLC's and is obviously trying to keep my business.

Alternatively, you could explore options like cash-out refinancing to access equity while keeping low interest rates and established cash flow, or a 1031 exchange to defer capital gains taxes and reinvest proceeds into a similar property.

A great bookkeeper will keep your books up to date monthly/weekly.