if you are a buy and hold investor I don't know why you would care as long as it cash flows well every month @Scott TaylorYou should never buy looking for appreciation But if that is one of the reasons you are buying when you sell just finance it for end buyer and get appreciation that way

My focus as of right now will be buy & hold on small multi-family properties.

I've been researching buy-and-hold real estate recently (since June 2016).

Do you have any books you would recommend on buy and hold or investment financing?

It's now time for me to move forward and determine "farm" area for buy and holds.

I am interested in learning about how to invest in buy and hold properties with minimum down payment and the ability to own the properties in 20 - 30 years free and clear by renting out and letting the cash flow fund my equity in the properties.

They are performing well.Is using hard money for buy/hold purposes something I should consider?

Because everything has to be done at "arms length" this could be your best bet, and an opportunity to invest outside your area.Do some research on turn-key providers, the markets that make sense, and if the entire strategy works for you.Consult with your CPA; in guessing it would be far easier to keep your accounts separate, and each one holds an entire property within (not splitting properties, in other words.)If the $50k homes aren't to your liking, you can always make more contributions until you've got enough for an $80k home...

Ask me how I know, since all my holdings are in NH.  

Its finally stabilizing here in San Diego albeit at a slower rate in the East County, making it a great place for buy and holds comparatively here in San Diego.