If you decide you no longer want to work with any of your team members, tell them sooner rather than later. 

And then maybe in 5 or 6 years, sell that house and take the equity (if its a good deal, it better have some decent equity) and buy something with that gain thats closer to you later on.The key is that you're banking that equity for now......

You will probably have to go out of the area to get started on limited funds and after you accumulate more funds and/or resources and invest here later down the road.

If in fact we can make this happen i want to start putting ideas together now rather than later.

I don't know squat about NY RE, but it sounds like these sellers are trying to exclude folks using HML, and look for only a) All cash buyers or b) HELOC buyers.If you want to play in this arena, and that is what is going down, I'd suggest opening a HELOC on some other property you own with the highest maximum credit line that your equity position will allow but a $0 current balance.Offer accepted, max out the HELOC, funds arrive next day, show proof to seller.Then you would use the HML to pay off the HELOC a few weeks later, if you'd prefer that the debt be secured by the subject property.

Sooner or later, you'll need a new roof.  

Hello, I currently live in Japan, but I'll be moving back to Erie later this year.

It was a beat down 3/1 brick ranch. 5 months later and after slightly exceeding my renovation budget (please see 'contractor nightmare #1') I was all in at at about $75,000. 

Both my lender and real estate agent explain to me that they've never seen a 203(k) loan close this quickly.January 22 (later that day) - I am told that the seller may not be able to close that early. 

I am also interested in doing a flip, but we'd like to buy a small apartment building first, get that stabilized, and then get going on a flip, hopefully later in 2016, or early 2017.We also live in a very small bungalow (850 sq ft!)