This is in what I’d call about an an A- or B+ neighborhood, in lower income neighborhoods perhaps people wait longer I am not sure. 

That’s why I go no lower than 8.34% (One month rent) for Vacancy reserves.  5% for CapEx may be too low.  

My lender is saying that they go off of the lower of the two scores, and it must be at least 720 to qualify for only 15% down. 

not really...regardless you need a lower purchase price to make either option work. 

Another benefit of the LOC is the revolving credit, same as the credit card, which allows you to reuse the money as soon as you pay it off.There are a lot of options for you and having that much equity is certainly a leg up.

Hey guys,I found a property with a special situation: it has two lots - one lower lot with a house and one upper lot that is empty.

Or if commercial is overbuilt and Amazon is flexing it's muscle then sell commercial and buy residential. 

I explain to the prospective tenants that in exchange for lower rents I expect tenants to adhere to maintenance rules such as yearly carpet cleaning, monthly house cleaning, AC filter changes etc.

But I was wondering if more experienced investors would recommend trying to get it rented sooner, especially before the school year started, by lowering the rent?

Typically a lower yield property is the market determining that that property is lower risk than some huge pro forma cash flow property, which likely has that proforma cash flow being so much larger because the market views it as a higher risk asset.