You plan is to refi to lower your current mortgage payment and pu;ll out $45k, and spend that $45k to improve your current home so you can bet a HELOC on it to get your $45k back...that you just spent. 

** I am also looking for the bets way to approach the appraiser so he or she realizes how much work was done on this home.

I think your best bet would be to buy a place in N.

That is a real shame, I bet that was a pretty cool rental.I am focusing on buying properties in my self directed ROTH IRA, that way I don't have to pay tax on the income (ever) or capital gains tax if I sell one day.

Once you move to Idaho then you bet by all means deal with the 2am phone calls for emergencies. 

Keeping the conventional loans would be your best bet however their are lenders that offer 30 year fixed terms for investment properties.

I bet we’ll see a similar report on SF by summertime :)  https://www.millersamuel.com/f...

yup neighbors are usually best bet in this scenario.. 

@Cheryl Bennett as Patrick mentioned, your best bet is going down the the courthouse and inquiring specifically on where to research because they aren't necessarily going to look into it for you.

I would bet that the rate chart for Lubbock is much more stable than Midland is.