I often will use wholesalers to buy off market deals. 

until past due balance is paid off.

With current interest rates, and they are at least 1% higher with potentially additional points for non owner occupied property, it is hard to find properties that will allow for positive cash flow after paying the mortgage, if you are looking for money for the down payment from a private lender, those are normally at higher than market and I am not sure it would be possible to pay it off.... please remember you need to take into account that you may not have a tenant for a certain amount of time, a tenant may stop paying rent, or you will have a big ticket item to fix, so I would wait if I were you and save to have enough for the down payment and closing costs and perhaps some money set aside for repairs. you also want to make sure that you have your own emergency fund outside of the money needed for the investment property because life happens ....

They said they will not take rent into consideration and declined me because they are using the mortgage of that new loan, my current mortgage and HELOC payment off of just my income now, which is dumb because of course I can’t qualify.  

After 45 + years as a real estate investor, broker, lender, fund manager and syndicator, I’ve become aware that the “dream” of many investors and investor “hopefuls” is to be able to generate enough cash flow to live off their real estate holdings and accumulate enough wealth to make “work” optional.

You may be better off refinancing with a cash-out mortgage and then financing the new property.   

Just one example of a market getting overheated and then right-sizing.Same is going on with syndications, STRs and soon LTRs.BP took off after the Great Recession when investors could buy almost anything and rent it out for positve cashflow.

And, FMV on 1/6/25 is not FMV today because now you don't have a lot in an established neighborhood, you have a lot in a disaster area which comes with the challenges I listed above.We built about three dozen "fire lot" homes after our fire--all lots acquired off MLS or from owners that came to us (we didn't market for lots), and not at a price that anyone would call a "discount". 

I would get in touch with a local builder, and see about getting a mentorship on down days and days you have off..

If you are calling the licensed person off the radio AD a lot of money.