Having a stable income and good credit will be foundational in qualifying for a loan.

I briefly considered signing my STR over to an arbitrage group last year under much less favorable terms last year.If this suites you it may be advantageous.

They show some creative ways to borrow money or to payoff debt using credit lines but their disclaimer is to see your cpa and/or lawyer.

The downside is they usually come with higher interest rates and shorter loan terms.Partnerships or Co-signers: If your husband or a trusted partner has U.S. legal status and credit history, they might be able to co-sign or help with financing.Cash Purchases: Since you have savings in Canada, you might consider using that for your first property, especially for a smaller rehab project.Foreign National Loans: Some lenders specialize in providing loans for foreign nationals.

If a seller listed a home for $100,000 but was willng to sell for $94,000 as that was likely the FMV, it would be the same to him if he accepted $100,000 with a 6% seller credit or $94,000.I looked at the zip codes of lower priced homes in Memphis, Cleveland and Indianapolis and they appeared to perform betterMemphis38105 - Prices were $35,700 in 2016 and now $116,000(220%)38106 - Prices were $21,600 in 2016 and now $60,900(180%)Cleveland44108 - Prices were $34,000 in 2016 and now $59,800(74%)44104 - Prices were $36,300 in 2016 and now $60,400(66%)Indianapolis46201 - Prices were $42,900 in 2016 and now $149,000(247%)46222 - Prices were $39,000 in 2016 and now $127,000(225%)I should mention that I don't invest in Memphis, Cleveland or Indianapolis.

Mostly on trade accounts with local businesses for the materials, some business credit cards, some of the contractors were OK with waiting 30 days for payment. 

Then you may shop in that price range.Tip: check with your local credit union: they will consistently have better rates and often the underwriting of loans is done locally.Mike

Could you send them a credit/debit card you can reload from America?

My credit is poor right now but can easily be improved as my income is much better lately. 

Refinancing next year would likely allow you to lock in a potentially lower rate than the 8% you're currently at, especially if the market conditions continue to favor lower rates.Avoid Duplicate Fees: You're right in thinking about avoiding duplicate fees for the refinance and HELOC.