They're very different thankfully so it feels like there's always at least one who's acting like a normal human being...A defeasance is something that happens on commercial properties when a securitized loan (like a CMBS [commercial mortgage-backed security] or agency loan) needs to be paid off early, either when you're refinancing or selling your property that has a loan on it.

To us, its a "Bridge Loan" (lol).

If you're house-hacking, you can put down as little as 5% (or even 3.5% for an FHA loan).

1) an investor will pay the least for your house.2) An assumable loan will only help if you owe at least 8-%, preferably 90% or more if the sales price for an owner occupant who will pay the most. 3) it’s been a VERY slow winter.  

You can open a Self-Directed IRA and use the IRA funds to buy a house using a Non-recourse loan. 

Question: Should I collateralize the loan (if using private or hard money), or rely on roll-over loans (to maximize the lower points and 3-4% rate)?

A few things to note-Loan payoff isn't part of the calculation of what taxable gain will be. 

So if the house is worth 300k and you owe 200k then most you could pull out would be 40k (minus costs) and it would be a second mortgage most likely which would be expensive. 7.5-9.5% likely.But, you can put as little as 15% down for a conventional loan on a single family.

The loan is non recourse, so I have no personal liability.  

Buy box: Location: Approx. 30 min drive to Boston Heights, for workNeighborhoods: Decent walkability score - not far from shops/restaurants/trendy neighborhoodsIdeal tenants: Close to hospitals/universities/schools for professionals/students/familiesBudget: $175-250K - Buying w/conventional loan, 5% down/ approx 20K reno.Property type: MFH 2-4 units - preferably side-by-side, with a yard we can fence for our dogUnits: 3+/1+ - better if 1.5/2 bath per unitTimeline: Plan to live there for 2 years, but possibly only 1 year if we find another investment opportunityGoal: Focus on appreciation - would like to see cash flow in year 2-3 (the year we move out), including overhead (Vacancies, Maintenance, Utilities) and budgeting in PM if eventually we don't manage ourselvesValue add: Opportunity for some forced appreciation, but not a full reno - cosmetic upgrades and updating kitchens/baths while we live in one unit.