Its hard to get HELOC on  investment when there is lien.

Also, if you try to buy two multis so close together with no (or low) downpayments, you're probably going to have a pretty hard time qualifying (unless you made a boatload of money & have no debt, in which case you'd probably have money for a downpayment).  

That way future leaks won't be so hard to detect or fix, plus a small leak won't lead to a bunch of mold before you notice it.

Do you need an LLC in order to get approved for hard money loans?

Also zoning may be hard to come by - in NJ when I finished the basement in my SFH, it had to go through zoning approval to be sure I wasn't adding a kitchen and trying to make it a multi-family, since that area wasn't zoned for it.

This is a credible opportunity and one I've worked hard for.  

I feel it shouldn't be so hard to get a ball park figure.

Most Hard Money lenders wouldn't even consider me without it.  

Hey Blaine thanks for the reply, your definitely right deals are hard to find but right now I'm studying the market and trying to pin point the range of what's being bought and sold.

Just to give perspective, they have worked very hard their whole life, is still working just as hard, and never really had anything to show for it, lived very modestly and never acquired any kind of wealth nor a real retirement account.