You don't want a fat HOA; it's money down the drain and doesn't build equity OR help with leverage.

Please bring your pet into the appropriate areas and NOT into any common areas, when they need to go to the bathroom.3.Tenants with dog(s) shall not allow any disturbances to neighboring tenants form barking or excessive noise.

For example, if mortgage + tax + ins is $1,000/mo the lender would want me to have ______ in excess of the down payment. 

A common equity structure is to offer a fixed preferred return with a split of excess CF.  

I have talked to several companies and there costs are pretty high to set you up, yearly fees based on your balance, excess funding, etc..  

So, in your example, they would represent you free of charge initially, and then collect, say 33% of anything you get awarded in excess of the original offer. 

Cash out is needed only when you as the owner are wanting to get cash back out of the property.I chose to allow that "excess" equity to stay in the property, I could have waited another 3 months to do a cash out refinance and paid myself the $22k but decided to just go forward with the rate & term instead of switching to a cash out.The HML payments get paid monthly, so they can't be rolled into a new loan. 

I also want to get more familiar with possibly structuring an LLC properly for both protection and from lawsuits and possibly from excessive tax.

Perhaps there is someone willing to take a second position for the excess.

@Michele Fischer @Brie SchmidtHave you had a case were they owe you money due to excessive damages?