What I'm hoping is to value add and refinance a bit later if/when rates go down.

Doing a 70% cash our refinance allowed me to get our initial purchase and renovation investment.

@Shayan Sameer Yes in case the projects do not work as expected you will have an issue with paying off the HELOC  on  your properties unless you do a cash out refinance and then the risk is not so much as there is no second lien(HELOC)

Hi Chris from the U.P. of Michigan.Congratulations on deciding to get into real estate investing with your first Buy, Rehab, Rent, Re-finance, and Repeat or BRRRR and you are wondering where to start and who you should add to your team first.It is good you have cash or cash equivalents to buy the property and complete the repairs.As far as who to have on your team first, I would say an investor friendly Realtor who can help you find deals and introduce you to the rest of the team like a good property inspector to hopefully let you know about potentially expensive repairs early before buying the property so you can buy it well or not buy it at all.

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

I've stepped in to help many clients refinance and I'm shocked at how many times the investor doesn't know even the basics of the deal they are in.

The general rule of thumb on refinances is to do it if you can make back the transaction costs within 2 years.

Faced with the same problem I had to begin with, credit scores aren't great and don't have a qualifying cosigner for any type of traditional loan, mortgage or any type of equity refinance or HELOC, right now at this moment.

3) can the seller refinance or extend the terms of the contract?

Can I refinance on a property that is not technically in my own name yet?