HI Pinny,You can always start off by house hacking meaning you live in one UNIT or ROOM and renting out the other vacant units/rooms to offset your monthly mortgage payment.There are several ways to run and make sure you are maximizing your rental income while keeping your living expense as low as possible.

Your first post sounds like a purchase, but this statement "The $20,000 was when I refinanced and did HARP with Wells Fargo twice." makes it sound like a refi.If it was a refi, was this $20K an existing debt of yours that was not caught and paid off on the refi? 

Is your DSCR ratio greater than 1-meaning are you cash flowing (according to the lender's criteria of mortgage, property taxes and insurance (and HOA) if applicable).

Your mortgages are all less than 5%.

I think it’s disingenuous for a guru to claim they created a new method that is “revolutionizing” real estate lending, when it’s actually just rebranding something that exists and charging more for it.

If the borrower lies about that to get an investment property loan by claiming it's for a primary residence when it's not, then that's straight up mortgage fraud, which is a felony punishable by a fine up to $1m and 30 years in prison.

No.Did the ice cream parlor even know you existed?

If the property is in good shape, cash vs. mortgage is negligible.

Chasing keys is a pain and we're trying to find an all in one solution-if it exists. 

The full mortgage may become due.