How much do you put down?

[Jim Piety]

Considering money is cheap right now, it makes sense to borrow as much as you can. However, a larger down payment reduces the monthly payment and helps increase cashflow. Plus, if you have a larger amount of equity, can you not pull the money out with a HELOC to invest in additional properties?

I understand that a HELOC is not free, like cash. But I'm curious what other investors' thoughts are.

My specific example is comparing 3.5% vs traditional 20% down for a primary home. So PMI leads to a large amount of savings. But, this question is applicable to 20% vs 30%.

Thanks!