@Nate MarroquinAny side hustles you can do to get income and savings up? 

Appfolio is more expensive but after saving money for these past 5 months I have determined RentRedi could be free and I would pass.  

CT isn't cheap so if you plan on doing it there you are going to surprised at how poorly you do. maybe in the suburbs I'm not sure but as much as I know people call us from CT and everyone is rich and has lots of money and things are expensive out there. build to rent is a great model. we build 3 story walk up infill and keep it to the residential side. 3 units is the most units before it's commercial and you need engineering, etc. check comparable and things liek that. we came up with this design a year ago and we sold 10 if you want to talk further please DM me happy to connect. there are some great build to rent conferences. we went vertical not horizontal with it to save on build costs and design to fit on any infill lot. this fits on a 3500 square foot lot. most lots in our area are 30x120 or 30x150. in miami where I live now they are 50x100 or so. but any infill lot we can pretty much get this one on. there are some great build to rent conferences coming up too that if you like this topic I'd recommend attending I'm sure you'd learn a lot.  

Just make sure you are saving towards those slow months during the peak months, buy a deal at the right price (don't overpay just because its a turnkey STR or you think it will make more money than projected), and look into ways to increase bookings during those slow months with some marketing and operation tweaks. 

For example, my appliance store gives me a 10% discount, so I charge a 5% markup to my owners to make a little money and the owner still saves 5% from retail. 

Unfortunately I paid via ACH because it saved some money, but that came back to bite me.

I have been digesting all things Real Estate so right now I am working to lower my DTI while saving at least 6-7% for the Owner Occupant down payment (to include closing cost, etc.).

She has some stock (maybe 50k), some retirement IRA of around 100k which I believe she has started to take and then maybe 20k in her savings account.

I've included an example below to help illustrate this.So different lenders have different rates (which do vary even for DSCR loans) but these are factors they all consider.See example below:DSCR < 1Principal + Interest = $1,700Taxes = $350, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $50Total PITIA = $2200Rent = $2000DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2000/2200 = 0.91Since the DSCR is 0.91, we know the expenses are greater than the income of the property.DSCR >1Principal + Interest = $1,500Taxes = $250, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $25Total PITIA = $1875 Rent = $2300DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2300/1875 = 1.23If a purchase, you also generally need reserves / savings to show you have 3-6 month payments of PITIA (principal / interest (mortgage payment), property taxes and insurance and HOA (if applicable).

Overcoming Common Financing HurdlesMortgage brokers excel at tackling challenges that often derail new investors:Low Down Payments: Brokers can find lenders offering low or no-down-payment loans, ideal for new investors with limited capital.Complex Income Streams: If you’re self-employed or have variable income, brokers can identify lenders that accept alternative documentation.Competitive Rates: Brokers have the leverage to negotiate better rates and fees, saving you thousands over the life of your loan.Pro Tip: Communicate your investment goals clearly with your broker so they can tailor their search to your needs, whether it’s a short-term fix-and-flip loan or a long-term rental property mortgage.3.