So they would have to have the cash for the downpayment to begin with.)If they get 5 individual loans this is EZ Peasey.

@Kevin Hintz It's property dependent, obviously, but last year, I sold one a street back from the beach that they're cash flowing.

I'm going to exclude my personal residence from this because I don't view this as an investment, I need a place to live.Excluding my primary residence my current breakdown is 47% real estate 53% stocks/cash. 

The best strategy I seem to have deployed so far was to contact all my current tenants and let them know I’d give them a cash referral fee of $250 for anyone they recommend to me that goes through the vetting process and successfully moves in.

Which one is more appealing - continuing to own the house or the security of that much cash/liquidity?

You'll have to look at the income and expenses to predict whether your cash flow will improve.

You will also need to front some of the cash to start the rehab before you get a draw approved with most lenders.

When you learn to partner with professionals who are well-versed in this segment, most distressed property transactions are quite straightforward.Myth 5: Distressed Properties Are Not Obtainable with FinancingThere is this perception that distressed properties are cash-type deals.

And not to mention no stock matches the dividend rate one can get in real estate with such low risk/volatility. 20yrs ownership, oh-yeah, cash-flow on renting it would be HUGE now so it's easily comparable to a 20%+ monthly dividend, if not more.

Do I wait another year to save more, or do I look into a HELOC or a VA cash-out refinance?