Double closings are no longer allowed in the state of NJ so I've been told by one or two title companies that operate and do a lot of transactions in Northern New Jersey.

We secured a 200k USD senior debt position which allows us to avoid raising so much equity.

I am an investor and realtor as well but I focus mostly on fixing up distressed properties to increase value and grow the equity and that usually allows better cashflow also. 

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?

If you do a good job with building sponsor relationships, then you can probably get to the point that they'll allow you to use their track record. 

A HELOC will not allow you to deduct I believe on the interest unless the money is utilized for repairs on your primary residence and not to buy another home. 

A ground-up construction loan for a new investor on some vacant land would also be a no-go as you must be able to show successful exits (refinance or sale) from a few projects before that's an option.So, we need to be able to see funds in your account that can cover the down payment, closing costs, and some reserves left over that will allow you to start your rehab.• No entity to close in: Though an LLC/entity is not a must-have, it's a nice-to-have prior to seeking financing.

The city nor our architect understood the structure of the affordable housing regime that allowed this delay.2) our architect was incompetent in moving the project forward.

Real- Estate  is a lot tougher game now because of technology now allowing buyers, sellers to access the market using the internet without using agents but  you do have hot areas that can support  more bodies .

I appreciate the input Danielle ...I see some of these virtual mailbox companies have an app and you can see what mail has been received on the app, while others allow mail forwarding ... are you utilizing any of this or just using the physical address for your LLC paperwork to be delivered?