There is a local loan program, I believe it is called the MCT loan. 

Maintenance and potential repairs will also require a long-term financial plan and setting aside a contingency fund for such expenses.The steady cash flow, appreciation over time, and tax benefits can make a meaningful difference to your wealth in the long term, especially with the principal paydown on the mortgage.However, if managing the property from a distance feels too burdensome, or if you’d prefer the certainty and flexibility that comes with having less debt (especially given the high mortgage rates), selling and using the $100,000 in equity to reduce your loan for your next home may be the smarter move.

And there are lots of conventional loan programs where you can put down <20%If it were me, and I was committed to purchasing, I would try and land an off market property needing a bunch of work and force appreciation that way.

The interest rate on a HELOC or Heloan may be better than the personal loan. 

Refi the house so they can continue to live in it, they will get the best loans on their primary residence.

That's why I finally decided to use a va for it.  

Finally, I was told, in their company's words that they are the "Rolls Royce [of taxes]" for real estate investors.

They then missed out on several more years of growth because they got out of the game and waited on the sidelines for things to look better. 2010 to 2012 was the period that cash investors were the players or those with IRA keep in mind investor loans were still basically non existent in those years for all those expect very well to do Investors beginners were not getting investor loans. 

Fannie/Freddie (Conventional) loans aren't just about rate and transfer taxes. 

You've got to include loan pay down, appreciation, and depreciation in your return calculations.The point of cash flow is to keep you safe.