Sometimes I come across doctors or lawyers looking to invest, but these people are normally working with real estate agents. 

The last hurdle was getting approved for a mortgage which normally would not have been a problem.

Is this even close to normal?

Says a lot about the poverty wages they normally are paid.About the only "saving grace" - if there is any - is the additional supplement for children / dependents.

I called the water department and the last water bill was normal but prior to that was unusually high for at least 6 months.

@Jay C.I would steer clear of crypto and stock market because it’s a big gamble.

So on the one hand, betting only on appreciation is a gamble (and that's why I mentioned that you need to determine whether you can survive a market downturn) but on the other hand, you can use market and economic trends to get a certain "feeling" of where the market will be in the future.

Coming to commercial lending, can I do refinance as normal property or getting approved for commercial lending is difficult?

Basically it allows all of your normal banking deposits/idle funds to be swept directly towards your remaining balance.

@Ryan WilliamsonThen just skip the llc and get a normal mortgage in your own name.