The "rest" is where the strategy, and creativity, is translated to "timing". 

I'm very interested in creative financing options with sellers as well.Right now I'm using propstream to help assist in data collecting to focus on off-market deals. 

There are definitely pros and cons to each so I figured I would just lay out a few benefits and personal thoughts: Small banks/brokerages:Pros:- Some regional knowledge of the market- Possibility of more creative lending guidelines with bank specific programs- Sometimes they have competitive rates for their areaCons: - weak balance sheet (more strict on some guidelines, no wiggle room, inability to be flexible or grant exceptions because they cannot afford to hold less than perfect loans)- Can't scale with clients to different markets- Usually limits exposure to individual investors (they don't want one investor to be too big of a portion of their balance sheet)- Lack of experience with multiple solutions (tend to have 2 or 3 loan products they sell and are too niche to provide tailored solutions)Large banks/brokerages:Pros:- Large compliance departments that understand individual market guidelines (typically each state has specific lending guidelines that augment the national baseline)- Ability to scale into multiple markets with same lender (licensed in many states)- Impossible for individual investors to "outgrow" a large bank's balance sheet (not concerned with one investor's concentration)- More lending solutions available for different scenarios- Often comparable or better rates given the game is volume basedCons:- Can be more difficult to get fast responses if the bank/brokerage does not have good follow up systems in place (or if the underwriting/processing staff gets overwhelmed)- Bad large banks can feel less like a relationship and more like a cog in a factory (less personal)Overall, I have worked from both and worked with both as a loan officer, branch manager, and as an investor/client myself. 

One way is to get a Hard Money loan, after you get two or three properties you can then bundle them together to get blanket loan.As already said low amount loans are hard to get and often take getting creative. 

Since you are doing shorter term deals it appears, you may want to get creative with the accounting and structure to maximize profits.

I am constantly surprised by all the reasons people seek out midterm stays and, really, you're only limited by your creativity.

I'm wondering if anyone has any creative ideas for how I could consolidate 2 loans into one that MAY have a better rate.

Ok, creative financing again, Why I have to cashout/refinance full value of the property?

I find most metro and suburban areas require some creativity to be good investments. 

Your focus should be on getting top reviews for your listings so thinking creatively about how you can go above and beyond (within your budget) is key.