Good morning everyone, I've been thinking about what I want my niche to be as an investor.  I've settled on small multifamily properties 2-20 units.  There are quit a few of these properties around the Atlanta area.  ...

Check the local banks and credit unions. 25 year amortization is more typical for a loan that size so I would make sure 30 yr am is accurate.

My experience with commercial loans in NJ, has been no personal guarantee, because the lender looks mostly at the income potential of the property vs. the business (LLC) or even the owners personal credit/assets...

Let's say that I want to get a mortgage credit certificate (MCC) on a home that I am going to live in. 

Shop around to local/regional banks and credit unions.

TERRIBLE idea.

I had a similar situation; after calling most major banks/lenders, and getting "no actuary will every approve that," I was able to work it out with a local Credit Union. 

We thought about using credit cards to fund the renovations but don’t want to risk damaging our credit score to do so.

Financing:  My credit is good, but again I want to clear up some personal stuff first for peace of mind. 

Flipping houses and owning rentals are only similar in the sense that the underlying asset is property -- beyond that, they are completely different strategies that fulfill completely different investment needs.Every investment strategy requires you put in some combination of the following:- Time- Cash/Credit- ExpertiseAnd every investment strategy generates some combination of the following:- Profits- Cash Flow- Tax BenefitsWithout knowing what you have to put in and what you're looking to get out, there is no way anyone can recommend a particular path.