What’s unique about our current economic environment is that you have a simultaneous increase in both at the same time which is creating a one two punch for everyone.

Are lenders able to look at both options for me simultaneously? 

Your cash-on-cash return will be higher when using debt.Any form of debt is going to offer both increased risk and the potential to increase cash-on-cash returns.Debt fundamentally allows you to go faster.You can buy a property for $1M using $1M of your own equity, or you can put $200k down and buy 5 properties simultaneously using debt - this specific example is reductionist and arbitrary, but the point stands; debt allows you to potentially move a lot faster.However, it's not without significant risk.

I am simultaneously crunching numbers on multifamily properties in locations I have heard may be good.

Drive, walk, and/or bike the area looking for distressed properties - yard dead or overgrown, windows out, general poor condition, for sale and for rent sign posted simultaneously and note the address.

Hi Jed,We use Counsellors Title who is very familiar with double closings, assignments, simultaneous closings using single source funding, etc.

This often allows them to live for free while simultaneously building equity and paying down their mortgage.

(requiring two loans to close simultaneously)I am stumped on creative ideas here.

That is done simultaneously during the closing process.  

Memphis rents had been too low for too long and suddenly all the factors lined up and every PM and owner simultaneously got the urge to raise rents?