And the rates I usually get quoted are already quite high.Would a heloc be a good idea here or also very high rates ?

I know this is pretty deep down the rabbit hole, but hopefully someone has a better idea than a separate excel sheet (although that might be the best answer?).  

Im really hopeful to get some guidance on these ideas from all of you.Thanks! 

Hey Arthur, That's a great idea!

The idea is that you buy 3 properties minimum within the 5 years and then refi them as a portfolio loan.

If you are in City limits, almost all cities will have their zoning maps available online. 

Hey @Justin Williams,I'll start by saying even the most flexible loan scenarios will look at credit. how it relates to the loan process, however, will differ depending on which loan type you go with. my gut punch reaction in this is that your credit score is more about limiting your LTV due to the subject prperty being a multi-family, or potentially driving the rate up so that you no longer qualify (rates are higher on MF than on SFR typically)....it also could be about how your lender is calculating (or not calculating) the rental income coming from the different units.

The idea of the BRRRR strategy is to force appreciate the property so that when you refinance you can pull out your initial investment (or as much as you can) or additional cash, if the appraisal is high enough.

My Dad is a contractor who has built multi-family properties for other people in the past, but he hasnt built anything for himself or smaller than 20 unitsI have been suggesting the idea of building a 4plex to him for the past few months and we each forgo our fees and split the profits of the dealI'm curious as to what your numbers were like on a btr 4plex, such as the land cost and the construction cost at the time you built it?

There's usually a time limit to have this mailed, and if tenant did not provide a forwarding address, I'd mail it to their last known address, as they may have forwarded their mail with the USPS.