Hi Roger, I'm new to the BP forums as well but have been investing for 11 years and have a corporate background in non-profit and community development corporations (CDCs), so I thought I'd take a shot at your question.I would encourage you do everything you can to get your credit score up while stockpiling cash (unless you need to use that cash to pay off old debts).

When you start, all you can do is read/educate a ton and stock pile cash for when you're ready to buy that first property.

R-22 will still be around for quite awhile there is quite a stockpile built up of it.

I plan to stockpile the first year of payments so that if I have to foreclose (and I hope I never do), I will be able to make my payments on the underlying mortgage until I can get the property performing.If the bank calls the due on sale clause I will either have to come up with the money to pay off the balance, or sell the note at a discount. 

Now would be a great time to stockpile cash to make it through leaner times.

Save money each month, and when you have a nice little stockpile then invest some of it into a property.

I don't necessarily need the money however I'm thinking about taking the equity out while the interest rates are low and "stock piling" cash to reinvest when the market dips.

If your goal is to grow a portfolio, and you don't have extra capital to place, either a refinance or stockpiling of cash flow is necessary.

Get another job to stockpile your down payment.

I am stockpiling cash, and paying down debts, to buy land at auctions to get ready for this, as I think those will be the first properties to get unloaded.