House Rich, Cash Poor

[Steven Parker]

I purchased a single family house hack in Tacoma Washington February of 2020. Roommates have been covering the mortgage, so I've been able to pay off a lot of my credit card debts. I've been fortunate to benefit from massive appreciation theoretically puts me around 100,000 in equity, but I'm told that my debt to income ratio (minimal credit cards but 40k student loans and a car payment + the mortgage) would prevent me from using that equity via HELOC at this time. I could cash out refi, but that would only net me about 20k and would increase my monthly payments.

My goal is to transition out of my current job into another where I would expect more income and investment opportunities, but I would love to have my work and then come history for access to traditional financing if possible.

I currently have access to about 15k cash.

I'm very open to investing out of state where my cash on hand can go much farther.

What would your suggestions be for someone in my situation? Are there any clarifying questions I can answer for better advice?

[Cameron Tope]

Hey Steven,

When I first started investing, the first thing I did was payoff my student loans. Banks hate to see student loans because it's the only debt that isn't forgiven in bankruptcy. Once I had those paid off, I was a much more favorable borrow in the eyes of the lenders. 

Are you still investing in your company 401k or IRAs? 

You have to build a strong financial position, increase your income all while keeping your eye out for an investment property in an area where you have a competitive advantage.