if monthly payment amount is a high priority for you then a refi stretched to 30 years would be a lower hityour ltv can be pretty trying high to pull 140K of your 160K equity out into a loan

I've learned a lot today, and this stretched me to think about questions I hadn't previously. 

Fast forward 2 years and we are just getting to the stretch of finishing the house now we are debating whether to RENT it out or SELL it to try to purchase 2 properties or a duplex and use credit cards to fund the partial rehabs.

Is it a stretch to make that a goal starting out?

For the smaller guys you may be able to stretch out a small profit, but it is not easy. 

What it would effectively be if stretched out 2 years, compared to just time in the market?

Can be very helpful to retail buyers who are stretched thin with purchase/closing costs.

This is not really a stretch; my available units usually garner HUNDREDS of inquiries, and I usually get a dozen or two that actually get in for a showing.If they have not confirmed an hour prior to their appointment, I send this text to their phone (which was required as part of their contact information I required in the response to my ad):As I had requested in my email, you have not yet confirmed your apartment showing for this evening, scheduled for 7:00pm.

The other thing is all the hazards of buying there early on - I know some parts of Detroit are practically lawless but how far does that stretch, and is it worth the risk?

Seemed more than a bit spammy and this site is very anti-spam.David, I think it is quite a stretch to assume that Zillow is going to enter the real estate business just because they are a publicly traded company.