Utter blasphemy, only "unsophisticated" investors buy in cash.An experienced investor once told me "why use my cash, when I could just default on OPM" I know its not popular thought on BP.. and of course ramp up requires it unless you inherit a ton of dough but as we age out I sure like free and clear and no debt.. just the hassle factor of having to make payments :)

Your taxes are none of the ex wife's business and this would seem to address your concerns.I would also put her on notice that future requests for financial discovery will be two-way and if a discrepancy is seen in the other direction you will seek support from her.

For a while I looked into medium size deals like 30-50 units in class B neighborhoods, but ultimately could not negotiate a deal to the point where it would have made financial sense.

Assuming the financials make sense to do this of course.  

Tenants will prioritize their debts based on reprocutions. 

After closing, work on increasing your income, reducing debt, and preparing for a second mortgage.

Look at me taking charge of my financial future!

Regarding the HELOC question, consider the interest rate on the debt.

[Click the image to see full size.]Real estate investing is for achieving financial independence.

@Tove Fox hope you find this copy & paste useful:)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?