Rates and terms are better especially if you have less than optimal credit..

My properties are small multifamily and to-date they have generated between 50 and 60% internal rates of return for the past four years. 

And be care of taking advice from someone who has something to gain from you.I don’t understand how you can run any numbers if the occupation rate is a big unknown.

If you are buying it as an investment property, you are buying it at a much higher rate than a traditional owner-occupied loan so you must be in a primary residence now and are just planning a just-in-case scenario.At first, I thought this was a no-brainer answer as if you can do whatever you want, but those investment loans are banking on the income projected as part of the collateral for the loan so it's a good question.A seasoned lender or someone who has had to move back into one of their properties will get you the best answer.

The tenants complained about it, and I solved it by dropping a fence all the way down the property line and widening my side a little by having it repaved. 

The only advice anyone could give you is to stop doing whatever it is that you are doing that is hurting your credit rating. 

as Update to this post from 6 years ago, there are heloc's on owner occupied 2-4 unit properties up to 89.90% CLTV or combined loan to values (meaning multiple loans but all together not exceeding 90% of the value).Terms typically areinterest only first 10 years and drawable from the lineyears 11-30 its Principal and interest payment Prime index/rate + margin (this portion is fixed but prime is not)underwriting is done assume prime + margin + 2% stress test for underwriting meaning if your prime + margin was 10% then your underwriting rate used to determine your maximum line you can qualify for would be 12% rate as an example based on principal and interest payment over 30 years or 360 monthsIncome is the main determinant of your qualification and fico min 680+ is just the min score to get through the "front door,"Maximum DTI or debt to income allowed is 45% DTIMaximum lines on this product go from 500-750k so you can get a decent line size that can actually buy other BRRR's or fix flips and deals.

Hi @Denise MacDonaldUse this rating and classification system I have created over time to get an idea of the "Class" for the area - A class B class & so onhttps://www.areavibes.com/Here is my rating & classification for each livability score. 80 and above A+78/79 A76/77 A-74/75 B+72/73 B70/71 B-68/69 C+66/67 C64/65 C-60/63 D59 and below F

The capital gain, $100k, is taxed at capital gain rates.The $36,360 in depreciation recapture is added to and taxed as ordinary income (No ss/med tax) up to a max rate of 25%….since it was deducted from your ordinary income as you claimed it each year.  

When it comes to a 3.5% fha vs a 5% conventional, I personally prefer the 5% conventional because the PMI automatically drops when you hit 80% LTV.