I could come up with a down payment for an investment property in a different state easier than my home state at prices are pretty high in the 300-400 k just for townhomes.

BUT there have been 24 late payments with the last late payment made in Nov 2024 and  0 paid on time.

I agree with Erik, although their are some investors out there that will help fund the down payment/entry fees that you mention, they typically are friends and family that trust you and believe in you.

He was playing nice, but then started to really press me about the final payment which was a large sum of money.

I am trusting you have it set up with a service. 

DOS or more commonly known as Event of default.Alienation of title is an event of default in most all debt instruments not usually located in the Note its in the mortgage  deed of trust etc.And along with other Events of Default  IE non payment of Insurance or tax's or waste these all give the lender the right to Accelerate the note but not the obligation..

While they can provide valuable advice, you must advocate for yourself and trust your instincts.Selling real estate—especially multi-use properties—can be full of surprises.

This has to do mainly with the timing of property tax payments for your own home (not for your investment properties) and your charitable donations.

Take a copy of the lease, payment history and if you have one your receipt book.

At the same time, dispute the late payments with the bureaus and provide the payment records showing the payments were made on time if asked.