We require all adults (age 18 and above) to qualify to live in the unit and be named as a party to the rental agreement, jointly and severally liable. 

Joint Venture with an experienced investorMake yourself valuable ( bring something to the table other than money)Owner Financing dealsWholesale homes.I recommend reading the NO Money Down book on Bigger Pockets, ( No plugging intended ) great book for giving ideas on creative financing .

@Jason Gott Partnerships and joint ventures are tricky.

Commercial heloc on rental property is tougher to get plus as more property u have the more reserve is required, the snow ball effect becomes tiny ball.

I have networked on here and within my sphere of influence and have found that U S Bank is very competitive and very hungry for real estate opportunities.

If I do remodel do u suggest refinancing for a better value assessment?

I would encourage to start by befriending a local real estate agent. are u already familiar with the atl market?

We have a couple of properties that required some work, but we know nothing about that part of investing, so we have a joint partnership with other investors who ARE qualified to do that work, we both benefit from the transaction. 

I don’t know about your proposed strategies, but if she is no longer married she won’t be filing jointly, so her exemption is $250k.

I use an economic unit addendum, which basically states that they are jointly and severely liable for all terms of the lease.