You want to get to the point where you can do a rough analysis off the top of your head and it takes a lot of experience to be able to do that.

I'll be heading to LA and SD this weekend to scope out the potential places and areas (no offer on the cabin yet).

Work my job, and pay down the current mortgage?

@Nicholas Olson- thanks  1)  fyi - there are conventional loan programs that allow you to put 5% down on a 4 unit if you plan to live in it - consider this as you can avoid the  fha upfront mtg ins premium and also  avoid the permanent FHA monthly mtg ins   2) avoid  renting the unit you state you will be residing in as this sounds like a problem waiting to occur 

@Michael Kefferit comes down to your DTI ratio. 

As I am planning to get an SBA loan, I assume the down payment would mostly need to be somewhere between 15-25%.

Now the down payment from the homestead buyer wouldn’t cover a PMP’s loan.

So I run down to the house after they left to see what had happened.

Write them a letter, track down their phone number to call and/or text and knock on their door.

Lender (One Brokerage from here on BiggerPockets) says we can't buy it as a primary residence if it's leased.These leased properties would be perfect because July 2025 is when they would move in.We DO NOT have 15-20% down for a commercial loan.