@Matt Fish Recommend you search this site on sub2.I am always upfront with lenders and send them a 3rd party authorization as well as a POA. 

Staggered CDs might be a viable strategy if we were in a different interest rate environment, but try finding CDs that would be more than the 4-5% interest on mortgage debt.

Lee Sal   different kettle of fish  when you explain your intentions.30k in PH will be pretty rough though as well. 

Fish and veggies?  

I really want to get into REI and start generating passive income but not sure if I should cash out and look for multi-famliy units, or learn the landloarding process with my existing property (hopefully in a good tenant/family environment).The house is in a desirable/affluent Milwaukee suburb with almost no rentals available.

Hey @Richard Dunklin - you've received some really good advice on here that might be hard to take in but I would definitely suggest that you get all of your ducks in a row, ensuring that your financial environment is conducive to real estate investing meaning, making sure you have the money reserved for a down payment plus any maintenance that needs to be done in the property.

Not full blown hoarder but children and such living in some pretty nasty environment ..

Due to the high-interest rate environment, the market is lining up in favor of buyers during the negotiation process.

There are many issues that arise that are in no way tenant responsibility...from appliance repairs, to tree roots or scaling in main waste lines, to window operators or other elements that fail from age and/or our environment.

If you purchased your home back in 1998 with 7% interest rate, the effect is very different with today's environment of rising from 2% to 7% ; in 1997 the market is conditioned for 7-10% for long time, in 2022 the market has been pre-conditioned with sub 4% rate for 14 years, which means the banking system,lender, creditor, underwriting, the buyer is assuming a low credit environment.Also in 1997, the default cap rate is 9% ; today cap is 3-4%.