Because of that, our budget a little more flexible -- it doesn't necessarily have to cash flow right out the door (which I know is almost completely unlikely in the current market for this type of area). 

I’ve never thought commission should be a fixed rate, and I’ve never worked for brokerages that weren’t flexible, except my first one where I learned I never wanted to do that again.

And Fixed 2nd Mortgages are fine, but lack the flexibility of a Hybrid HELOC and you have to take 100% of the cash now and pay the interest on it. 

This will give you the financial stability and flexibility to focus on real estate.

I strongly recommend it especially if you're young and flexible with your living situation.

The VA home loan offers benefits like no down payment, competitive interest rates, and flexible credit requirements.

Smaller banks may have more flexibility for other products should you need them down the road. 

Personally, rather than push on rate I would go for max flexibility on the repayment.

They are more flexible than a bank.  

You may need permits for plumbing, electrical, and structural changes.A HELOC can be a flexible and cost-effective way to access funds for a down payment on another property.