Upfront expenses and monthly payments must be considered when calculating the return on your investment.EXAMPLEYou cash out $100,000 of your equity and use this as a down payment on a $400,000 investment property.

If anyone has a good starter spreadsheet or knows of a reliable website for deal analysis, I’d greatly appreciate your recommendations!

I'm speaking of co-living in a typical A or B level neighborhood house, so instead of a 20-25% down payment, we are speaking of a 1-5% down payment. 

I suppose if I just paid off the balance and let a bunch of notes mature it would create a lump sum after a few years but I don't see how that's a true reliable cash flow stream. 

You payment is $2,600 plus tax and insurance.

Quote from @Jaren Taylor: Quote from @Chris Mason: If you have the ability to market and raise money, then you secure the down payment, and do the normal commercial mortgage process. 

By the time I reach 20% equity (likely 3+ years away), my monthly mortgage payment will come down when I refinance, but $600 is a big hit to the numbers. 

I am currently in the planning phase of my real estate investment journey and had a few questions I’d like to ask someone more experienced.Would it be smarter to focus on paying down my own mortgage and then use a HELOC as a down payment for my first investment property, or should I simply use my savings for the down payment instead?

THEN, I plan to purchase the second home using a FHA or conventional loan (3%-5% down), for which I will likely pay the monthly cost out-of-pocket, maybe with some rental income support if it is a duplex.My concern is, I do not want to spend my savings or weigh down my debt-to-income ratio so much so that I cannot qualify for and pay the down payment and closing for the lending on the second home.Questions: - With the first home being multi-family, 75% of the rental income (or potential rental income initially) will relatively either maintain or boost my debt-to-income ratio from lenders' perspectives, right? 

However, my debt to income ratio with that home loan, and student loan doesn't look that great currently and I don’t have much for a down payment.