Your goal is to maximize your return, not win every battle.

Would you happen to have any resources that quickly come to mind on how one can maximize the cashflow potential of a rental property?

Maximize rental cash flow \ equity in 10yr-15yrs for college funds for our children2. 

I am looking at two properties next door to each other which if I could get a 33% reduction I could be at 1% rent to loan. One of the properties has been on the market for 5 months and the other 2 months, both are ide...

Others want to completely maximize and squeeze out every bit.  

You're not going to maximize your potential unless you have a plan.I'm only a part time investor today, but recently decided to start building a strategy to become a full time investor to allow me to leave my day job- which is my primary source of income today. 

Now the higher down payment takes away the ability for me to acquire more properties therefore I can pay the higher rate and maximize leverage.

I like the maxim "Focus on doing the right things, THEN focus on doing them right."

This can allow depreciation to be taken where there is otherwise taxation and the tax-deferred (or tax free) status of the retirement account can completely shelter the loan income.Some people oversimplify this to mean "don't buy real estate in an IRA" which is just misguided, in my opinion.It's really all about maximizing the performance you can get which each available financial bucket you have.

I know of HELOC, delayed financing, and FHA (203)k loans but I'm not sure these will maximize my investing potential in the long run and I don't plan on living at the property.