Owning my place free and clear means there is no present leverage being exerted.  

We've tweaked them over the years as challenges have presented themselves of course.  

I had some success from 2015 - present, I was able to buy 7 SFR all with COC of 18-25%, and I'm picky about where and what I buy, but now it's a real struggle to find anything worth buying.

We are a great team.My point is it might not be easy convincing your wife but be persistent make a presentation that you know she will understand (for me it was the drawing of the little houses) and show her you are a man of his word that she can trust and feel to be a stronger women next to you.

If we continue to look hard enough, the opportunity will present itself.

I would never invest in that property with the numbers you presented unless there are some significant value add opportunities.  

I'm sure I would have to present a business plan to the bank and more.

You presented those number in a way that is very easy to understand!

How is that sort of thing being presented by these providers?

I'm thinking of the following:- Try to talk to the seller directly to ask him to properly rezone the property, even if it were to be at my own cost- Take the required prerogatives to rezone the property myself (assuming I am even allowed to do it)- Present my case to a non-institutional lender to get some flexibility in terms of lending.