It's so bad that my last purchase was in Indiana, which was my first OOS investment, and likely will continue to look there if the market doesn't improve here.  

I used a personal line of credit of $8k to invest.

When it comes to real estate, here's a general list of eligible assets and their depreciable lifespans that you should know: Residential Rental Property = 27.5 yearsThis includes any building or structure where 80% or more of its gross rental income is from residential units.That means:- Apartment buildings- Single-family rental homes- Duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes- Mobile homes (used for residential rental)- Any kind of residential lodging facility where the primary purpose is long-term rentalCommercial Property = 39 yearsThis includes non-residential properties like:-Office buildings-Retail stores and shopping centers-Warehouses-Industrial complexes-Hotels and motels that do not qualify as residential rental propertyLand Improvements = 15 yearsThese include sidewalks, roads, fencing, some landscaping, and parking lots that are separate from the building.Personal Property = 5 or 7 yearsPersonal property used in a rental activity usually has a 5 or 7-year life.This includes most furniture, appliances, carpeting and various machinery.Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) = 15 yearsGenerally, this includes any improvements made to the interior of a non-residential building after the building was placed in service, excluding elevators, enlargements, and the internal structural framework.Computers and Related Peripheral Equipment = 5 yearsVehicles = 5 yearsNote that the land itself is not depreciable.

We both have good credit but my lender made it seem like there was no getting around putting less than 25% down on an investment property.

Has your property been improved by getting the WH?

You also get 100 free credits on sign up so great if you just need a smaller list done. 

@David Naphy With a strong credit score you can do better than 8% on a DSCR based cash out refi today. 

Some packages genuinely improve property performance, while others might feel excessive.

I can buy a 2-4 unit with 20% down vs conventional can only buy a 2-4 INVESTMENT property with 25% down 4. there are options where DSCR loans dont repot to personal credit, helps in not having to show a bunch of paperwork or not one person in a partnership has to carry the debt5. way less paperwork to close on this loan type vs a conventional loan. we care about the income of the property you're buying and it's ability to service the debt of the property whether we use long term rents income, lease income, or air dna/bnb income.6. easily buy in partnerships, add people to your operating agreement, its as easy as that so bring partners into a deal. helps with scaling and raising capital or getting partners involved7. gift funds allowed to close on these as well, and like I said earlier, there's only a 10day seasoning period of funds with some lenders so that means you can literally have a private money lender deposit money into your account 11 days before closing, and you can use those funds to close!

IT DOES NOT WORK at improving your financial balance at all.