There's enough personal liquid capital floating around to cover any costs and reimburse from cash-flow if necessary.

I think (but not sure) that it is more common for a HELOC's rate to just float with no lock period.

TBH, 0 down doesn't really float anymore especially if you're new (Sorry to all the gurus).

With the amount of money floating around now, it would be hard to toss a rock into any of these and not hit a legitimate lender with whom you can have a real conversation.

Maybe your contractor is talking about laminate flooring as that type of flooring does require a underlayment for the floor to float. 

My parents are willing to loan 25k which should cover a down payment and closing costs on a 300-350k property, and between my gf and I, our salaries and LOC's should be able to float the reno costs.

These lines are generally up to two years interest only priced at prime + 1 to 2% floating.

The Deal: I ended up floating them the verbal offer of 235k but they were not budging and came back at 300k being a fair number.

If the number of doors is what float your boat, you need to find a money guy and get to a fly over state/area.

Unless you make enough money each month to float the entire mortgage in addition to your normal expenses, you should plan for vacancies by saving enough money to carry the mortgage by yourself for at least 3-6 months.- Balancing cash flow and low maintenance is really important for new investors.