I am finding that most credit unions will only do helocs on primary residence.

Quote from @Chris Mason: Rather than starting with one lender and going back to the tenants, another approach would be to work with a commercial mortgage broker who will put the full credit package in front of 10 or a dozen lenders, and see what they come back with.For example, for scenarios like this, I've seen lenders come back and offer a new loan that has a maturity that's coterminous with the lease.

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

If the students do not have the income or credit to warrant the rent amount, I would require that they get a cosigner (like a parent or another relative that can vouch for them).

Not an issue here, but my mom just got a new roof in MN because of hail damage.

I imagine it's higher than a typical single family rental considering it looks like the host usually ends up paying for any damage caused by tenants due to a variety of reasons (tenant refuses to pay, damage happened in a common area and it's not clear what tenant caused it, etc.).- Rental loss - PadSplit claims they collect 97% of rents, but I've spoken to a few hosts who have said that a much larger % of their tenants get kicked out owing $500 or more in back rent that is rarely ever collected - what's your experience been here?

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.

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. 

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.