I also think the lender is more amenable to a payoff if the property has accrued debts and liabilities other than the mortgages (liens against the borrower, HOA liens, property taxes).

But you can set up re-accruing payments (mortgages, life insurance, etc.).

At least with a LOC, you can determine how much to take out and the money sits ready not accruing any interest until you use it.

one thing not mentioned yet- if you comingle business and personal on one card and accrue interest, you can't deduct the interest as a business expense.  

Not collecting them within a "reasonable" time of when they're due has been court interpreted as constructively altering the lease to eliminate late fees entirely.So at least in Ca, you'd best collect the late fees as they accrue and not wait until later.

As you accrue more money in the near future you can look at more creative ways to employ it into investments. 

Why not start small and use the accrued equity to purchase more in the future?

As for any pre-payment penalty, if allowed in your state, it should be; a penalty equal to that federal tax liability arising from any pre payment, with such penalty being added to principal and accrue interest at the note rate until fully paid.

For $100K in credit you are paying $15K for them to negotiate it for you (They do put it on the cards so you will end up having 6-18 months to pay it off without interest accruing) .  

Apparently this was missed by not only my first closing but a re-fi closing as well,  It was originally filed in 2008 the re filed again in 2013,It is for a water softener and water treatment system,   Note that it was listed on the HUD listing sheet when I bought it in the summer of 2010.Accrued penalties and interest now are about $14000,     The Finance Company that filed this has been less than courteous to not only me but the representative of the bank as this became known,Any suggestions ?