Here's why:Let's say I can get a HELOC with a $30,000 limit, interest only at 3.75%, and every ten months I apply a $10K "chunk" to my 30-year, 3%, $150K 1st mortgage. 

Certainly more options because you are no longer limited by imaginary boundaries of traffic and time.

I immediately did the wrong thing and started assuming this person has limited time in investing in real estate (which was a correct assumption).

Many banks limit personal loan amounts.

I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t a limiting factor of showings or interest.

But in my imagination it seems like a good way to create some prime real estate in the city limits.

Ourcurrent approach involves identifying possible contact information for thelisted owners and calling multiple numbers, but this process is time-consumingand yields limited results.

Had someone dating his daughter and they did something bad.  

Even someone of his phenomenal fortitude has limits against a dread disease.

You mentioned that your DTI is over 50% with less 10% down, so that's not an option....that 50% limit isn't necessarily a hard-and-fast rule, so you may still be okay @ less than 20% down (not to mention not all lenders calculate income the same way).