You can then avoid hard money lenders and go with a traditional bank.

I truly cant think of a reason why I would ever go back to traditional renting 

I do however, have full availability on my HELOC, various credit cards that are offering me 0% balance transfer checks for up to 12 months, and various retirement funds (Roth IRA, traditional 401k, etc.)I'm already a homeowner in SoCal, but I want to buy my first LTR SFR someplace like Cleveland since the price point is attractive.

I would never do a commercial loan with shorter amortization and balloon payment. yes lower rates for now, but you have to do a refi at some point and if you do all of your loans on shorter terms, you will not be able to access as much traditional financing potentially.

But just trying to see if there are better ideas then taking traditional way around.

I’m considering traditional lenders, but open to creative options.If I were to bring on an equity partner, what’s a fair and motivating structure for both sides?

Still retired from a traditional W2 job, but working harder than ever! 

I'm super happy with BP as a great resource for more traditional real estate, but I'd like to do some exploration into land hacking as well.

If you are seeking a more traditional DSCR type loan, then typical guidelines apply; Credit, Liquidity, and Experience. 

It's generally a useful tool for an investor who is estate planning and has a step-up in basis event on the horizon and can liquidate out of the REIT easier than out of the traditionally held property.