If you make it to Memphis, we invest pretty heavily in the youth club game down here and our non-profit, Cancer Kickers Soccer Club, is the first non-profit to be on the jersey of a professional soccer team, 901 FC of the USL. 

Readers should seek professional advice.

That may not apply to you, as a financial professional, but I thought I would share the story.Obiously you could re-lever your portfolio to bring the ROE back up, but then you have to place those borrowed funds somewhere that nets a high enough return that the portfolio is ahead, given the drag of the interest and any transaction fees.    

Hiring a lawyer sounds expensive, but it is way cheaper than hiring a amateur (in this case yourself) who costs you money and provides no results (and then you need to hire a professional anyway).My personal philosophy is to "do it right, or do it twice" and its way cheaper to do it right once. 

I have a tax firm that specializes in working with real estate professionals/investors.

As I'd imagined, it seems like there are no hard-and-fast ways that a deal must be structured, but rather there is room for flexibility depending on the situation, and in any case consultation with experienced professionals at every level is key.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

You could rent to young professionals or to families.

Scott very professional . 

@Michael Klinger  As others posted, SoFi and Discover personal loans are good options and I've used them in the past.  2-3 business days from application to funds in my checking account.