-Why not include a contingency line item in your construction loan rather than raise the contingency funds from your equity partners?

Did you find any additional help or learning concerning over-the-counter tax line investing for Texas?

Buying a new primary residence has nothing to do with the capital gains exclusion.It is when you go to sell the new house down the line you'll run into a problem.

It ended up being the main water line to the house that was old/rusted/damaged.

You lose because there are many other suckers out there falling for the same line and sharing the same low-quality leads that don't translate into sales.Do the math.

You avoid the tax hit, and still get the use of 75% of the equity if you do a cash out refi - (but high interest rates sort of play against that to some degree presently… but you could alway refi again down the line if rates dropped.  

If the answer is yes, then it's a no brainer to make minimum payments on your 2.8% interest rate mortgage, and use the funds that you would have paid extra to pay it down faster, to either invest in more real estate, the market, or anywhere else where you can get a ROI > 2.8%.If the answer is no, then feel free to aggressively pay it down as fast as possible, to become debt-free faster, and just have a large amount of money in savings or to splurge with.The bottom line is that your 2.8% mortgage is GOOD debt.

I have already been fully qualified for both the line of credit and DSCR.

Well the bet I'm making here is that CapEx and repairs will be very low the first few years (honestly event he first decade), and once all the construction ends I will be able to increase my rent closer to market rent at $2k which will give me a better cushion.

There are never full photos of the mechanicals and basement and roof line so you will never have even a bare inkling of what the potential repairs will be.