The management company just happened to be hooked into the deal with Growth Equity group and they also provided the interest only hard money loan for the balance of the purchase price. 

But we are paying all that back down, so as our balances decrease and we get farther away from that missed payment we will be able to get a loan on the house we inherited and use that to get us going on some income properties or maybe a flip.

My advice is to limit your use of credit cards to front costs that are reimbursable with a bank draw in a loan that you have originated.

Last thing you want is to not be able to get the renter out especially if you are on a hard money loan.

The market here is obviously tough (and we'd like to invest here or nearby for several reasons), but we have heard about second home loans that have more favorable down payment and interest options which could increase our buying power and allow us to cast a wider net during our property search.Understably this type of product would have to pass the sniff test.

But the potential upside of the more expensive building is massive, plus you get a higher overall ROI when you factor in all 4 wealth generators (cash flow, loan paydown, appreciation, depreciation).

Currently, we are at 12.75% interest with 3 - 5 points on the loan origination end; we haven’t been able to locate any existing mortgage notes we can buy of similar quality with ROI even equal to that.  

I've been searching online for trying to find a loan servicing company that provides the services in Florida.

It would if you refinanced a smaller loan later though. 

You can use rental income from other units to qualify for a bigger loan amount => higher purchase price.Hard to find in decent areas, so you'll be tempted to buy in Class C or even D areas.