My credit score is over 780 so I feel a 3% down conventional would be ideal, and within one to two years, have the HELOC on my condo (when I mention HELOC, it's the one on my condo)paid off and actually put down 20%-30% for an actual rental property.More experienced real estate moguls, what would you do to speed things along so I could buy another property sooner rather than later? 

I would watch out for places where there is loads of new inventory.

The rates are not really that much higher than conventional financing for investment purposes, although they are a bit higher than they would be for an owner occupant.

Conventional loan through MB financial bank.

I closed on the duplex last July with a vacant upstairs unit that I completely remodeled myself along with doing two roofs and a 600 sq ft wrap around porch that set me back about 20k on top of the conventional investment down payment.

This is in regards to conventional loans.Thanks!

Conventional Mortgage How did you add value to the deal?

So, would you say keep it simple and just give it time to find a good deal through conventional methods, or start with more advanced strategies that I have yet to become totally familiar with. 

But, there's not too much multifamily inventory in our area.

I might move my growing family in to this next one and just work on paying down a conventional loan until it can cash flow in to a rental prop but that is going to take time.