But in general, your biggest risks are not necessarily what's the maximum rent you can get, but can you find a reliable tenant that will always pay and pay on-time.

It takes that long to pay off your closing costs, rent-ready costs, early turnovers, etc. 

Post back if you find another lender who serves you well, and I will add them to my list and pay it forward.Ridge Lending All in One, first position HELOCAmericafirst 80% LTV on noo 65% LTV UtahArvest Bank AR, OK, AL, MO Bank of the west BB&T will loan on a rental portfolioBBVA Compass Boeing employee credit union California: Cal Coast Credit Union and Fremont Bank.

This is much lower than the costs associated with refinancing.Benefits of Mortgage RecastingLower Monthly Payments: The most immediate benefit is a reduced monthly payment, which can free up cash for other financial goals.Save on Interest: By reducing your principal balance, you’ll pay less interest over the life of the loan, potentially saving thousands of dollars.No Credit Check or Appraisal: Unlike refinancing, recasting doesn’t require a credit check, income verification, or home appraisal, making it a quicker and simpler process.Keep Your Current Interest Rate: If you have a favorable interest rate on your current loan, recasting allows you to maintain it while still lowering your payments.Drawbacks of Mortgage RecastingRequires a Lump Sum: Not everyone has the cash on hand to make a significant lump sum payment, which can make recasting inaccessible for some homeowners.Doesn’t Shorten Loan Term: While your monthly payments are lower, recasting doesn’t reduce the length of your loan.

I took a long break and I'm paying for it now LOL!!

If I recall correctly, Rent Redi even gives them the option to pay using a credit card. 

This is a family property for which I will be paying 3/4 of the most recent assessment value.

For example, using 70-80% leverage could preserve your cash for more deals while maintaining strong returns.A blended approach might work: pay cash for smaller deals to avoid delays and borrow on more significant properties to spread risk.

Then he is going to hire subcontractors to do the job and you are going to pay them for that work as well.  

Nothing illegal about doing that, but if caught, the lender may call the loan due and if you don't correct the situation or pay the loan off, they willstart mortgage foreclosure.3) You could also go the HELOC route to tap the equity in the home, but the 12-month owner-occupancy will also apply AND the interest rate on the HELOC will fluctuate with the Fed Fund Rate.4) You could do a cashout refi as an investment property, but that will be at an interest rate 0.5-1% higher than owner-occupied rate.Suggest you meet with 2-3 lenders to explore your options about the above.Once you have access to funds, recommend you buy a 2-4 unit with 20-25% down. - You can buy owner-occupied, live in one unit, and fix up and rent the other unit(s).- If you're handy, recommend buying a property in the worst condition you can tolerate.