I literally laughed through the phone at his suggestion, because I was broke, in debt, and in every way and unqualified borrower, and the lending environment in 2012 was probably stricter than it had been since the invention of the 30yr mortgage.

And there is a lot of appreciation potential.For someone just starting out, I'd suggest focusing on traditional long-term rentals before jumping into short-term rentals.

She suggested she might have to add the ex to title before closing. 

And, if you were able to generate $500/mo cash flow as Scott suggests, his method would not replace your income: if you could do only 3 properties a year that would net $1500/mo cash flow and it would take you 10 years to scale it to $15000/mo.

I've seen many people suggest a cash out refi but I like the flexibility of the heloc.

As others have suggested, you could get a conventional or FHA loan if you want lower down payment options.

Best wishesI suggest you double check the updates and fine print, there has been a LOT of changes on margin accounts, seemingly everywhere.

Hey @Patrick Drury thats a great insight, thank you and will look into the areas you have suggested.

But it's YOUR money, and Real Estate, to put it mildly, is a contact sport).Month 5: Deals & Network (15-18 hours/week)Submit first offersAttend 2-3 REI events monthlyBuild social media presenceKey Goal: First offer acceptedMonth 6: Scale & Automate (15-20 hours/week)Delegate initial tasksEstablish morning/evening routinesCreate follow-up systemsKey Goal: Sustainable weekly schedule🚫 Common Pitfalls to Avoid:Overcommitting earlyNeglecting W2 responsibilitiesSkipping system creationTaking on too many mentor calls✅ Success Markers:Consistent daily actionsGrowing networkClear systemsNo work conflictsSteady deal flowMaintained energy levels👉 Action Steps This Week:Audit your current scheduleBlock 2 hours dailyChoose your power hour (morning/evening)Set 30-day milestoneGeneral Comment:  obviously not everyone will follow these suggestions.  

Trust me, I have been there.I suggest you try to House hack in cities that you are already familiar with and have some connection with.Hire a great investor agent in that market and ask them all your questions and concerns.That I believe is the best way to get personalized advice tailored to your goals and lifestyle.You giving out Cleeveland and Toledo on your post will only attract biased opinions and advise.Only you know what you truly like, want, and can deal with.As Nicolas said, read this post and comments and hope that gives you a new perspective. https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/12/topics/1215726-break...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/963/topics/1195280-expe...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1137397-balti...Goodluck and keep us posted.