And you have to pay PMI for the life of the loan.

If you used a loan to rehab your property and find yourself in a difficult position, doing a straight refi (just paying off the old mortgage) will be easier than trying to pay off the original loan and take additional cash out.

You will make more from loan pay down, yes you SHOULD have some appreciation.

Given his spending habits during his first term, it might be a wash.Costs to build new properties will probably increase.

Real estate is an excellent avenue to help you achieve those goals, especially since it can create both passive income and long-term wealth.

Long term goals in mind that I need a track record and capital for! 

If you qualify, you could close on the loan in days.Home 2 could be an option for a fix-and-flip as well, but you would have to have another residence because these types of loans do not allow owner occupancy.

I am thinking of starting with rentals, be it short term, midterm or longterm. 

I'm not sure if the program is still going on, but has definitely revitalized a lot of the area when it was once destined to follow the way of other older cities that are aging out of existence both in terms of people and property. 

A bank will not give you the $ as you have to show ability to repay the loan.