However, understanding their requirements—such as down payment percentages, reserve requirements, and loan-to-value ratios—is key to getting approved.One of the biggest advantages of working with portfolio lenders is their ability to fund deals that traditional banks might pass on.

Start small with a property within your budget and skill set, using HELOC for funding.

@Maria JeanetteHere are some of the downsides of putting real estate into a self directed IRA or 401k.No tax deductions: You can’t claim deductions for property taxes, mortgage interest, depreciation, repairs, improvements and other property-related expenses.Property expenses: All expenses, repairs, and maintenance costs must be paid with IRA or 401k funds.

I’d consider saving for the next few months until you’ve got 2-3 months left on your lease so you have a healthy reserve fund no matter what you decide.

One reason is the county is simply an agent for the State real property tax's are state funds then deligated back to the counties.

If you move out of the house or sell it within 15 years, you have to repay all of the assistance funds.

I have decided to look into a heloc, I'm a bit newer into realest state investing, I have completed a couple of fix%flips this year, I currently use hard money for the purchase with 10% down and I cover 100% of the rehab, with that said even just doing a couple of homes at a time, I find myself around 200k out of pocket, I think it would be a bit easier on myself and wife if we utilized a heloc vs just cash, my primary should appraise around 1.1m and my mortgage is 640k, I'm looking at pulling about 250k for a heloc, I don't want to refi the home and cash out as I only want to pay interest on funds as I use them ( I know I won't always be using the heloc cash) Any advice or even knowledge for people in a similar situation, and anyone have a referral for a Heloc?

The operator in the market I chose ( Memphis) A Cpa I knew from BP  and one of the most respected syndicators on BP who could help with raising funds.

My goals currently are to help him get to a state where he can live the life he desires.  

It's true that many buyers rely on some kind of financing, so understanding their funding process is key.