Where you say "closed rate", we would say "fixed rate" and SOME fixed rate mortgages for INVESTMENT properties have an "early payment penalty".

She denies and keeps texting me every day to "fix the furnace".

All in all, I'd like to worm my way into the REI space and preemptively thank everyone who has taken the time to read my long introduction and offers their advice.Thank you,JohnTo keyword farm: rehabbing, fix and flip, house flipping, BRRRR, multi-family, apartment, long-term rentals Holla

Is it best to simply increase rent by a fixed amount (e.g., $700) to cover this, or are there other strategies for handling utilities in this situation?

If the mortgage payment is fixed (so large part of expenses is fixed cost), the cash flow will increase as the rents increase.  

DSCR loans are a viable financing option to secure 30-years, fixed-rate financing on each of the new properties.Is this the way every investor would do things?

I have partnered with individuals on fix and flips but my goal for 2025 is to buy my first LTR.

Here is some key information:Property recently hit the market and has 2 cash offers alreadyThe seller provided a pre-inspection report, which I shared with 2 different lenders, both think it may fail conventional financing due to potential structural and electrical issues (realtor thinks it could pass conventional)Seller has 100% equity but is behind on other payments (not sure of the urgency money is needed)This is my first attempt at an “investment” property so I’m new to thisI see 3 optionsMove forward with an offer using conventional loan pre-qualification-Not as attractive of an offer to the seller-Possibility that appraiser calls out structural/electrical issues that need to be fixed before closing, effectively causing financing to fail- Best terms and fewest loan fees for meUse a rehab style loan such as ChoiceRenovation-Even less attractive than a conventional offer to seller, but less risk of failed financing if appraiser calls out issues-Slightly worse fees and interest rates compared to conventional-Lenders tell me possibly up to 60-90 days closing in some cases, with red-tape for contractor requirements and draw schedules (sounds like the most hoops to jump through during rehab)Use a hard money lender-Most attractive loan option I can give to seller so I can compete-Much higher fees and interest rate for me-need to refinance into a conventional at the end of rehab (not familiar with seasoning periods but I think this is a factor as well)Which option would you do?

I feel it would be easier to manage multi-family properties unless I would get into fix and flips.

 - prop 13 basically fixes the property tax.