What would be the best method of a loan in order to secure the down payment for the new home?

Quality over quantity my friend.

I am not planning to buy a 100 homes a year, just to methodically buy (cash) and sell houses using equity and my savings.     

@Peter Moser @James Myers Have either of you tried this method?

If these deals were single families I would do a reno in a heart beat because the "BRRRR" method works well with the equity game.

That said, based on the info provided, and being in So Cal myself, I would replace them all, reframe the Arch out to rectangle keeping the largest opening for light and view purposes, and get a bid on several window manufacturers for best pricing.Design and quality of your finishes will play a big role in your exit value.

My biggest problem today is finding quality contractors.

I purchased a 4-family last year using this method and would do it again in a heartbeat.Student rentals can be lucrative because they rent by the bedroom, but are hard to come by.

I could also consider putting an ad Fee Structure: Property Management Fee:7% of monthly rent collectedLeasing Fee:50% of one month's rent, which includes Free Eviction Protection, a 30-Day Rent Guarantee and a Quality Tenant GuaranteeRenewal Leasing Fee:2% of annual gross renewal rentMaintenance Fee:Billed at invoice cost plus 10% administrative mark-upProperty Setup Fee:NoneMarketing Fee:NoneProject Management Fee:10% of project costs above $5,000

@Tereza Dyerova I run into this issue all the time in Chicago due to the high quality of a lot of the construction of the homes and the high cost to re-build them if they were to be a total loss.