I was constantly getting requests from tenants (via my PM) to upgrade, replace, and fix the most mundane, minor, and unimportant things - sometimes for very high fees.

Let me explain...Private lending is half of what I do - software engineering being the other.

.-  Does the service make ridiculous claims like having data scientists and engineers on their staff?    

If I had to pick a portion I didn’t like it would be replacing a tenant.  

I would recommend speaking with a local architect and local civil engineer.

3) Did you use Max engineered or residual method for cost segregation?

Your $70k in savings definitely helps with the down payment, closing costs, and reserves, but lenders primarily qualify based on income and debt-to-income ratio, so savings don’t replace income for approval purposes. 

Under Option 1, I would "lose" the 2.5% mortgage and replace it with a higher one (unless I bought a significantly cheaper property, using the proceeds from the sale, ie about $300K (vs $700K for the current one).

In addition to requiring better pet hygiene, removing the carpet in the upper unit and replacing it with vinyl plank flooring would help since it is a lot easier to clean and won't retain the odor as readily however the carpet likely helps to dampen some of the sound from the upper unit.  

Tracy,From what we’re seeing across DSCR deals, exit flexibility is the priority — with rent assumptions a very close second.Most investors get in trouble not on the buy… but on the refinance.How we’re stress-testing deals right now:• Underwriting rents at today’s market, not pro forma or “once stabilized” numbers• Building in larger expense buffers (insurance, taxes, management, CapEx) so the DSCR still clears at higher rates• Modeling the take-out lender before closing, not after rehab, to avoid being over-capitalized in the dealA deal can cash flow and still be a bad DSCR exit if the loan sizing doesn’t work at refi terms.The strongest deals we’re seeing are the ones where investors reverse-engineer the exit first — then decide what purchase price and rehab the deal can actually support.That mindset alone has saved investors six figures more than once.