Yes, I don't see cash for keys working because it won't be simple for them to find a different place as cheap or willing to take someone with inconsistent income.With no escape clause in the lease we were just counting days (months) til we can get tenants that meet our typical qualifying requirements.

If my spouse has a rental property in her name, can I count that rental income when calculating DTI on a solo loan application?

You don't need 12 months rental income from the property......it can be vacant and you can still count rents as shown on the appraisal. 

Banks may look at the income from the tenant as income to you and count 75% or so of it but they may need to wait until that income is counted on a tax return. 

What are you paying for rent to yourself if you dont mind me asking.Can you give us the bedroom counts and what ur renting the other units out for?

Also, does USDA allow you to count 70% of the rental income to help qualify, like FHA?

I do know that they do have enough money of their own to pay all the Arch fees without a loan so I'm sure plenty of cash is needed up front aside from the downpayment (which land value counts towards also).

I'm starting to look into the BRRR strategy for my next Hold, but isn't a Re Finance counted the same as a Conventional loan?

The rent is going up because that ghost counts as another tenant, ha-ha. 

I have fixed more of these than I can count.