It is important to work with a broker that has access to both! 

These guys are having fun because there are a lot of scammers and gurus out there selling LLC creation services and Wyoming Trusts and Cook Islands Trusts and if you believe all that b.s. you will end up needing to cash out refinance soon in order to access that equity in order to pay for all their services plus an accountant to keep track of the mess.

It’s crucial to work with an experienced broker who can access multiple carriers.

(for instance, this property has a backyard that could become parking; however, there is no way to access it unless the neighbors allowed us to use there driveway to get there).* Are there any other downsides I might not have considered with street-only parking?

For instance, you could look into refinancing the property to access some of its equity while still maintaining ownership and cash flow.

Hi Enrique, as a realtor you have access to the MLS and Neighorhood Scout and AreaVibe if its available in you area can give you ratings on crime and schools.  

You would then have two loans, one on your home and one on the refi to access the equity on the investment home.Why not just use the refi cash out from your home loan for future deals? 

You'll have access to owner occupied loan products, therefore saving on your down payment, typically 3-5% compared to 20-25% for non owner occupied properties.

You could put most of your funds in the stock market and access them when needed for a HML.

You want access to equity but you also want access to the full profits without safrificing it to expenses to expand your business.