I've been self-employed for only 6 months, and loans are proving difficult to come by despite my great credit (not to brag, I'm moreso frustrated and seeking help).

Most non-FHA loans will require at least 15% down but you'll have to have amazing credit.

Cash out should be used as a 12-24 month loan so that you can buy another property and pull cash out at the next 12th or 24th month mark.At that point you take a portion to pay off or down the first loan and use the rest as a down payment on the next REI.

Be sure your lender is comfortable with this, as many fear giving folks primary loans for properties they view as having a high probability of being turned into a purely investment.

Just to name a few: Borrower's Experience FICO Loan Amount Loan Type being sought: Perm (30 yr ams), Bridge (12-36mo I/O), Rehab (12-36mo I/O), Ground Up (12-60mo I/O) Property Type (1-4 unit, 5+ MF, Warehouse/industrial, Hospitality etc)If you have a specific deal in mind, then you can have a lender (or broker) look at it and give you a better idea.

I they accepted an offer of $118K from my brother but since he couldn't get the loan, we're starting over.

(Auctions and foreclosures can also provide great leads.)With $20K, hard money loans are a practical option, as they emphasize a property’s ARV over your financial history.

If you're looking to BRRRR/flip, I do recommend looking into hard money loans.

Most mortgage companies will not call loan due if payments are current but you do run that risk and need to be prepared to payoff or refi at a moments notice.

I currently work with investors who are looking to begin their portfolio in turn-key real estate and manage for them on the back end so they can still enjoy their everyday lives while having a resident in place paying down their loans.