Living in the properties while fixing them up is a great way to build equity and keep costs low.

Bank Recommendations:Chase and Bank of America are popular because of their extensive business banking features and integrations with bookkeeping tools.Smaller community banks or credit unions can offer more personalized service and lower fees, but make sure they support series LLCs.Online banks like Novo or Mercury are great for tech-savvy users who want low fees and easy online management.What to Watch Out For:Hidden fees for transactions or deposits.Limitations on the number of accounts or ACH payments.Difficulty in maintaining clear separation between the series, which could risk the limited liability protection of your LLC.Since you’re using a Series LLC structure, it’s crucial to keep each property’s finances completely separate to maintain liability protection.

It’s a lower risk strategy since you’ll be living in one of the units, and you’ll qualify for low down payment loans.

For the "why" regarding condos...high HOA fees (like 1000/mo...something like 400-500 is now "very low"), high insurance costs, overbuilding (everyday it seems like new building is going up) and high property taxes. 

The issue is our land value is high, so the structure value is low compared to the overall property cost. 

and even then the return will be fairly low based on the risk you're taking on. 

I've got team of  Handymen, Contractors, all the trades (btw, its hit or miss in Hawaii with contractors -  there are some really good ones and ones you should stay away from, I can also recommend the usual suppliers like (Golden Cabinets, Ferguson, HPM, Honsador, Lowes/Home Depot, etc.). 

There are programs with low to even no seasoning.With cash out refi's you're most likely looking at 75% LTV max for most programs and 80% for rate and term

Here’s why lease options are a game-changer:🔹 Low Risk, High Leverage – Instead of buying a property outright, you lease it with the option to purchase later.

Biggest lesson would be to have refinanced when interest rates were low and locked in a fixed rate for longer terms without a balloon payment!