I'm presently a facilities engineer by trade, who does some construction and maintenance for landlords on the side, hoping to get back into the private real estate game.

Quote from @Alan Mills: Got an inspection objection back with something I’ve not seen on my other rehab’s (this is a Colorado property):“The seller agrees to have a licensed plumber install external sewer cleanouts per city code and scope the sewer line ensuring its integrity.”This was a full interior/gut rehab and almost everything is brand new.

Most Heloc rates right now are around 7.75% to 10% so if you look at your blended rate between your fist and Heloc you would be better off doing a cash out refinance.A lot of people forget or simply do not know that if you do a cash out refinance the rate does go up but in 12 to 24 months if you do a "rate and term" refinance you can get it back down fairly close to where it was at prior.

That way, you can get your foot in the door, start building equity, and stay at home a bit longer to save more money.You could also consider the BRRRR method where you buy a fixer-upper, rehab it to add value, rent it out, and then refinance to pull your cash back out.

The most important thing is to know the details of your local program like the back of your hand, then look for loopholes.Just to give you and the other BP'ers a deeper handle on why some TDR programs work and some don't, I just uploaded an excellent study on the topic to my FilePlace at http://www.biggerpockets.com/files/user/ChrisNewma...

I started staying on the North Shore of Oahu back in 2005, and it was easy to find a STR.

Wish ( knew about DSCR a few years back.

I'll be bouncing back and forth between the two cities over the next four months before I move in order to get life set up and trying to learn the city... and hopefully find my next project. 

No back and forth, no negotiations, no discussions or debates.

Back when I started investing, I found it helpful to prioritize understanding the nuances of each market, and Pittsburgh is a gem for steady cash flow opportunities.Here’s the deal: a $100 monthly cash flow might seem underwhelming, but context matters.