I’ve identified when I want to buy and am now focused on reverse-engineering the steps needed to execute confidently and efficiently.What I’ve done so far:-Saved for down payment and closing costs-Actively building cash reserves-Funds parked in a HYSA to season-Drafted crystal-clear buy criteria (to be finalized once buying power is confirmed)-Focused heavily on education:-Various REI podcasts-The Multifamily Millionaire Vol. 1-The Book on Rental Property Investing-Rich Dad Poor DadNext up: The Book on Managing Rental Properties and 90 Days to Your First Investment-Recently became a BiggerPockets Pro member-Planning to join my local REIA nextNext steps I’m planning:-After the holidays, get pre-qualified with a local lender-Use that to establish a ballpark understanding of buying power-At the appropriate time, complete the pre-approval process (understanding the 90-day window)-Build out my team (agent and vendors) so I’m ready to move decisively once I begin making offersWhere I’d love advice from the community:Pre-qualification vs. pre-approval-For an FHA house hack targeting a June–July purchase, is getting pre-qualified early enough for meaningful planning, or should certain steps wait until I’m within 90 days and pre-approved?

It is currently vacant and we are looking for a Full Replacement Value policy in order to comply with terms from our lender.

Keep PriceLabs as a dedicated pricing layer rather than replacing it.

What was replaced, who installed it, what warranty applies, and whether that warranty is actually usable when something fails again.Early on, warranties were effectively useless because:Paperwork lived in emails or invoices that no one could findVendors changed, disappeared, or denied responsibilityPMs or VAs didn’t know what had been installed three years agoNow, everything is standardized:Approved materials list by asset classPreferred vendors tied to specific scopesWarranty info logged at install, not at failurePhotos, serial numbers, and install dates stored centrallyThe key insight is this: warranties only matter if your system can surface them at the moment of failure.

Obviously items with a shorter life span may need to be replaced such as carpeting and light fixtures.It is very important to interview perspective companies and getting some referrals to insure that you get the most benefit from the time and expense.

One is where a deal encounters some (hopefully) temporary problems, and institutional debt is not available, or only at a huge cost of replacing existing low interest debt with a somewhat larger amount of high interest debt.  

Had to hire engineering firm to conduct study.  

@Wayne Wollesen If you’re looking to get a true engineering-based cost segregation study, you’re absolutely on the right track.

On one end you have a very detailed engineering studies that are highly defensible in an audit and also very expensive.  

With a "real" cost segregation study, it is signed by a licensed engineer who absolutely is a "qualified individual."