I am always a big fan of sailing downwind, you can take that in the context of what the market offers at any given point in time, or geographically - meaning the type of inventory Sheboygan County offers.

Personally, I love them because they offer built-in diversification.In my experience, local banks are your best bet for financing mixed-use properties.

@Yonathan Cabrera There's nothing marketable about your GC/friends offer.

Your best bet is to keep liquid cash and avoid PMI.What conventional loan/lender is offering less than 20% down and no PMI? 

Either way its good to buy end of year as most builders and sellers are offering seller credits or builder credits to use towards closing costs or to buy a rate down to help get a lower payment.Even if you wanted to buy a strater home like a 2-4 unit as a primary again you only need to put 5% down. 

Here is south Florida the market is so competitive prices are going up so fast with low inventory.

These companies handle property acquisition, renovations, and management for you, offering a more passive approach.

@Marc Shin despite seeming to conflict each other, both @Jay Hurst and @Frank Pyle offer good points. #1 you can often find promotions for zero or low interest from furniture stores that you might want to consider. #2 many private/hard money lenders will consider furnishings if the deal, including the furnishings, falls into their deal box.Believe it or not, it might be easier to include the furnishings in the deal with a significantly lower down payment if there is other rehab work to be done.

Hop on Airbnb and scan nearby properties of similar size to get a feel for what they offer at the price points charged.

One thing about Florida, make sure you know what insurance will costs on a property before making an offer.