I'd love to see some pictures of the area. 

Wait for a stronger financial picture and speak with lenders to get pre-approved for higher loan amounts or favorable interest rates.

I try to get double the market rent for a furnished apartment. 30 night minimum stay.

Stop looking for homerun deals and look for base hits and doubles. 

I got a call from title company and their attorney instructed them that they can NO longer close deals that are from assignments.. or do double closes.. 

Just like any flip story, my first flip expenses almost doubled (different story for another day 😊), so we are being cautious with any additional expenses.

Most 401k returns are moderate at best the only reason to take advantage of them is for the match, once that’s out the picture the decision is a no brainer. 

Do another walk through with your agent after the inspection and double checking it all. 

Yeah, I think you're on the right mindset about the double interest (heloc downpayment & loan payment). 

Perform the same task in each app to ensure a fair comparison.Load a property with pictures and details.Market that property.See what your marketing looks like from the public's perspective.Submit a fake application to see how easy the process is.Run a credit/screening report on yourself.Enter a maintenance request, assign a vendor, and attach a fake invoice.Enter charges to the tenant's ledger.Enter recurring charges and automatic late fees.Sign documents electronically.Run owner reports.After testing a few apps, one should clearly stand out.