I obviously can't pick and choose what score to accept due to the Land Lord tenant act laws.

Not a big score but forces you to learn.  

That also means that we can start building business credit, which does not report on our personal FICO scores.  

Also, be aware that if you are thinking of doing a BRRRR that maxing out your HELOC can have a negative impact on your credit score so when you go to do the refi you may potentially run into issues.

Did you use a local bank/credit union or a private lender?

Currently I had borrowed 12.5k to consolidate credit card debt and I can borrow up to 23k. 2) Would it be wise to roll this into my home mortgage so I can get the tax break for the interest and allow for more borrowing power from a credit union?

I do a rent by room strategy, and I use a tenant application platform (Turbo Tenant which I love) but they're having trouble inputting their info....Is there another way to verify income, credit score etc with a foreign visa?

Federal along with state chartered credit  unions that are not permitted to charge prepayment penalties are also competitive right now on rate and more and more are building out construction platforms, although very conservative on construction originations.  

I have a high credit score but I am also possibly over leveraged.

Almost all local banks and Credit Unions offer loans on Commercial Retail properties