@Jonathan Blanco, I'm and investor and a licensed mortgage broker so I've been on both sides of this conversation.I would look for a lender that (1) listens to you and understands your strategy and needs (hint: it's not always money), (2) has experience working with clients executing your strategy and brings more to the table than just cash - be it advice, relationships, deal-team partners, etc., (3) gives you viable options and explains the pros and cons of each option and (4) you enjoy interacting with - this should be a relationship, not a transaction.Once you find a few lenders like this (and you should have relationships with more than one), then you can start comparing rates and fees.

We never set a flat fee rate just out of a whim, or price strategy, it's part of the operational strategy which is different, as it's all about efficiency. 

Using a HELOC to fund your first rental can be a great strategy, especially if you want to preserve your cash for other expenses or unexpected costs.

I'm a 2x house hacker here in LA (a case study in the BP book The House Hacking Strategy) and an out of state investor.

Are you adjusting your strategy as rents decline?

Its a fairly common strategy.

RE is always changing and if you have only one niche then well your limited in opportunities and subject to the conditions that exist at the time for that strategy.  

@Samuel Kim - please contact @Chris K. privately and allow him to show you how you can benefit from this wonderful strategy that he implemented for his many health professional clients.

Hi @Drew Sygit, thanks for your response.You shared some good insight, particularly about the classes of tenants that would push back against the strategy I proposed originally.

What strategies or lessons did you learn along the way?