@Caitlin Logue A smart person will learn from their mistakes, a wise person will learn from others mistakes.

I personally have 6 in the area but I bought before it got crazy.

.$995 is great rent but you also don't want to evict if tenants can't pay because turnover costs can kill the ROI.Just my opinion  Looking back, I think a cheaper entry point could have been negotiated, but this one was my first ever purchase and I really wanted something to get my feet wet with. i think the emotional satisifcation of having a first rental was well worth a slight overpay. 

I seek zoning variances frequently in Philadelphia, but its a lengthy process and don't personally find it a worthwhile pursuit for legalizing a second unit in a building.

You can also get a personal loan up to $50K which typically is to pay off credit cards debts, do renovations etc, but it can also be used as a down payment.

You can get personal references but nobody gives you a bad personal references.

A month later now, they are insisting I come and see the place in person and see "how well it turned out".

They noted, while they can technically go to 75%, in recent deals, they are closer to 65% due to DSCR covenants.And maybe this is expected, but I would anticipate having a personal guarantee, fully-recourse loan for retail.  

While personal credit may also be evaluated, particularly if a company member holds at least 25% ownership, demonstrating sufficient liquidity is equally crucial.

Looking for a Texas lender that can answer some questions or give opinions on doing a cash out refi on a rental property to help pay off personal debts.