Long story short my credit score increase 5 points after being with them for 6 months, I took 'FREE' advice from another recommended credit repair company and my credit score finally began to increase 

As you go on your real estate journeySomething I would recommend for you is this website. https://www.areavibes.com/Use this rating and classification system I have created over time to get an idea of the "Class" for the area - A class B class & so onHere is my rating & classification for each livability score.80 and above A+78/79 A76/77 A-74/75 B+72/73 B70/71 B-68/69 C+66/67 C64/65 C-60/63 D59 and below F

Between 5 and 10 years is that could go either way depending on appreciation and rent growth. 

You also may need to do some work yourself, again depending on your funds.

Hey Allen, it all depends on your goals.

If a HELOC isn’t an option, alternatives like a home equity loan, business line of credit, or a DSCR loan could work depending on your situation.

This is really going to depend on the state you are looking to do business in.

If your properties are all located in CA I would advise looking in states like IN, OH, FL, TN, OR, GA and a few other states depending on comfort zone.

If your willing to do so, you can live in the casita and then rent out the main home and have your tenant pay the majority/all of the mortgage (depending on what type of deal you find obviously). 

Depending on the fee schedule and activity this can cost significant transaction fees and always includes some red tape and extra processes to go through.