I really appreciate it If you can pay in cash and not deplete your liquid cash below your emergency savings bucket, I would go cash right now.

Also, I would imagine the construction holdback is larger than the total loan because they're carrying lender contingency and interest reserves on the holdback? 

Leveraging the equity from your house hack for future investments, whether in STRs or larger multi-family properties, is a strategic plan, but ensure your initial property performs well before taking on bigger projects like flipping.

I’d love to house hack and start with a duplex or larger, but I’m just finding is hard to shop around in our market.

I understand the rate is competitive on the assumable, but having $300k liquid, you might as well do a lower downpayment and Buy down the rate. 

Also, the lender wants to see liquidity from the co-guarantor. 

It depends on the market and whether you'd like to hold onto more liquid cash to put toward the next deal. 

The lender Bank was being bought by a larger and needed the non-performing loan off of the books made the deal even sweeter. 

Hey William, what about adding another partner that has experience doing larger deals? 

Trying to have my cake and eat it too by paying off the mortgage and having that comfort or largest expense being gone, and still being able to scale rental properties with the liquidity of the all in one.