Using a HELOC to purchase other properties makes me a "cash buyer" and therefore more competitive.

@Eliza blue i love the concept you have created on your short term rental down in galveston. i also live in houston and never thought of using a vacation condo as a source for short term rental income. i was wondering if you do not mind me asking your rate of return on this investment?

She's very elderly and we've been using a family friend of hers to help on her side as she is out of town.

The agent insists on using a promulgated contract form. 

Finally seven months into the lease they moved out one weekend leaving me with what ended up with 42 bags of garbage (at one point I was using a garden rake to get down to the layers of garbage left in the new moms bedroom).One thing I did learn from all of this is to go through the paperwork in the garbage tenants leave behind. 

Using a professional gives you arms length immunity and they are presumed to be knowledgeable and have liability insurance.It's just not worth the savings.

Just a tip, you cannot use a VA loan on a fixer upper, house has to be move in ready, we bought our first home using a VA loan, up here they don't like foreclosures, apparently had too many problems. 

DM me if interested (no, I don't get referral fees from anybody I refer to, but I wouldn't mind a nice christmas present or a good bottle of scotch once in a while... hint hint to all my network guys) I think you're using a phrase that I interpret differently, but what do you mean by Umbrella policy?  

Why is using a loan not a good idea?  

Not sure if you've been using a real estate lawyer, but they'd be able to push back on the seller's attorney that the expectation is that tax conditions are as originally presented, and if they are not, you have the opportunity to receive concessions to make up for any unanticipated difference.Which part of Brooklyn are you buying in?