There are laws (and statutes with three "T"s) that may apply in these situations on both a state and federal level.

The builder offerred $15,000 credit to be applied, however you wished EXCEPT can not be used for price reduction. 

I also had horrific PMs, particularly involved with a 48 unit apartment complex in Houston.  

Nothing illegal about doing that, but if caught, the lender may call the loan due and if you don't correct the situation or pay the loan off, they willstart mortgage foreclosure.3) You could also go the HELOC route to tap the equity in the home, but the 12-month owner-occupancy will also apply AND the interest rate on the HELOC will fluctuate with the Fed Fund Rate.4) You could do a cashout refi as an investment property, but that will be at an interest rate 0.5-1% higher than owner-occupied rate.Suggest you meet with 2-3 lenders to explore your options about the above.Once you have access to funds, recommend you buy a 2-4 unit with 20-25% down. - You can buy owner-occupied, live in one unit, and fix up and rent the other unit(s).- If you're handy, recommend buying a property in the worst condition you can tolerate.

They tell you right at the start in which states you can apply this freely, which states have certain restrictions and which states you cannot do this without a license. 

In rising markets, you might want to hold onto some properties longer to maximize your returns.By focusing on these areas, you can build a solid foundation for a scalable distressed property investment business and navigate the transition from individual deals to a thriving operation.ConclusionScaling a distressed property portfolio involves more than simply increasing the number of deals; it requires a fundamental shift in the way acquisitions, financing, and operations are structured.

The principles of diversification apply to both!

It is what it is - if anything you lose a little and learn some lessons going forward to apply to your real estate investing career. 

When investing in high cash-flow markets, I always recommend working with an investor friendly agent so you're able to gain the right insight on the different areas and the risks involved.

I suspect, as more and more leasing-related disputes are occurring involving credit cards, the companies have already figured out their method of handling these claims.