I am in the process of looking for my first real estate deal in West Michigan (Muskegon/Grand Haven area) and am trying to determine whether a cash-out refi or a HELOC on my primary residence is a better option to fund the deal.

My name is Kent and I currently reside in Corpus Christi, TX.

My name is Kent and I currently reside in Corpus Christi, TX.

I don't think you're going to find a lot of hard money lenders (if any) that will lend on an owner occupied residence.  

The nature of my investing will start as flipping single-family homes, and evolve into multi-family rentals and later into renovation of distressed multi-family residences.  

Hello,I want to know if I will get the same low rates as everyone else or if I will be punished when I get a loan to buy my new primary residence?

You do have one advantage of being able to conserve capital with a VA loan for your primary residence.  

Property info: #1 main residence, current value $1m, outstanding mortgage $400k#2 current value $600kSo, ideally I'd like to have one mortgage for $1m, to cover both properties - as that would mean only one mortgage, only one enquiry = increased probability for approval. 

The first was a primary residence turned investment when I moved out and rented it so this feels like my first intentional investment.I am looking at duplexes and triplexes in the Philadelphia area [I'm from a suburb of Philly] and have been going right to the listing agents to schedule appointments to view properties since scheduling is a challenge with most of the properties fully occupied.

So my first priority is to get into my own primary residence.