Are there certain things that you may be able to improve quickly and cheaply to assuage fears of some buyers?

., a duplex or multifamily), you may qualify for a conventional loan with as little as 3%-5% down.HELOC or Cash-Out Refinance: Use the equity you’ve built in your current property to secure a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) or cash-out refinance.

We do some cosmetic improvements to bring homes to our standard, typically carpet and paint, upgrade lighting etc.

When you first approach the homeowners about helping them out of their property, you'll want to let them know that you aren't going to save their mortgage you're just trying to give them a clean escape from having that defaulted mortgage on their credit.

See what they do right, and find areas you can improve upon then make the jump.

So do a background/credit check, get a full application, paystubs (Call to verify), former landlords phone #s (Call to verify), and other information.

Unlike traditional banks, which focus heavily on personal credit and income, portfolio lenders prioritize the cash flow of your property.

For me A or B grade means that you can get a tenant with a 700 plus credit score with an income well above the minimum threshold. 

So adding one more unit to a duplex may deplete equity gain even if it improves cash flow over here. 

I haven't spent a ton of money overall on improvements.