Multiple SFR financing

[Kevin S.]

Hi everyone, New to RE investing and I need all the advise for how, what, when and where of financing.  Mortgage broker vs Lender.  What to look for, what to ask?  How to choose them?  Do I pick only one or pick more than one agent/lender and have 2 source of lending available?  I plan to buy my first property and as soon as it's rented out I plan to buy the second one and then third.  Do lender finance second property within months of financing the first?  Is it better to stay with one lender for both properties?  Any reason or advantage to use the second lender for next one?  Pros and cons of both.  If I choose 2 best broker/lender I assume they both will run my credit.  How much will that affect my credit score.  Is it even a good idea to work with more than one broker/lender?  No two broker/lender financing are exactly alike (spoke to 3 lenders so far with different answers).  Do all lender run credit check on all 3 credit bureau?  I was told by one that he only use Experian.  The second lender told me he run all three credit agencies(Equifax, Trans union and Experian).  Who is right? Which is better?  In today's market it's hard to cash flow with  20% down.  Does it make sense if it require more than 25% down to make it work?  I am told if I can put up the difference of negative cash flow, it's better to put up the monthly cash to break even and put 20% down than to put 25-30% down to be positive cash flow.  Reason is the difference of 5-10% is better used for down payment of another property since it adds up when there are multiple properties.  I know the list of questions is long.  I can use all the advise I can get.  Thanks in advance.