@Chris MurphySo many questions:)Your ROUGH plan and the financing questions you're asking are good ones and deserve a longer conversation with more in depth study.  

I may house hack and rent out a room, and I'll definitely add value via a carport-to-garage conversion and bathroom/kitchen remodels.

Account Closed I would start the conversations with potential agents now and certainly start shopping for hard money lenders. 

Anytime I'm serving a 5/10/30 day notice or having an awkward conversation like this, approach them like a friend and turn up the heat if the situation calls for it.

And in the end, the conversation and the question will be directed at you: as an accredited investor with 100K or more to invest, why would I invest it in you?  

Conversion to gas burner will be relatively straightforward, and I've read that there are submeters for steam.

There's a podcast that actually covers some details you want to try and find out about the house, but if you have to find it out in person, don't make the phone conversation robotic for the sake of the info.Remember, they are calling you because they have a need.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meetSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/category/podcast/If you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

If the borrowers start getting aggressive they can start to keep a log on who they speak with, what the topic was and a summary of the conversation.  

As an example, I have talked to three providers - padeals, Norada and Memphisinvest as a preliminary conversation and I have asked for some references on one of them but have not received even one.