I will be talking to lenders this week, calling around.

Make sure to connect with local lenders and brokers as it's beneficial for achieving your real estate goals.

Generally speaking, HELOCs are more suited for personal expenses or home improvements.Also, keep in mind that most lenders right now are capping at 75% LTV for a cash out refinance, not 80% LTV.

We advise landlords to require two main criteria:1) Household income should be at least 40x the monthly rent.2) Applicants must have a credit score of 680 or higher.It's also important to review credit reports for red flags like rental collections or high credit card balances.

If buying as a primary then the lender will be looking at your personal credit. 

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

our first exit strategy was to sell own a wrap around mortgage creating a second note and financing our desired equity position but to find the end buyer was a challenge so we decided to rent it out after 3 months of vacancy Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

For starters, I suggest you tune in to the BiggerPockets Podcast and connect with the local lenders and brokers.

In addition to being part of a few syndication deals in the Houston and dallas area, ill just speak anecdotally: Its very hit or miss and really depends who you get to review the case.

As long as you have a proper representation, it should not be a concern.Investigation of Investors Widens to Title Insurers, Lenders (therealdeal.com)