It's 2 properties, single family homes, in the SF Bay Area.Sharing some details that might help inform the decision, let me know if anything else would be relevant.One property fully paid off, generates between $20-30k in profit after expenses (property taxes, hoa, insurance, etc).The other property is our current primary residency and would operate at a loss of about $10k/year.I plan to travel back to the US at least once a year, could that be a deductible expense with an LLC? 

I think many investors are going around that rule in Baltimore City, so I assume they are doing it in other counties.Not trying to pick on you as you are 110% correct and understand you are just reporting the facts on the ground, just I think the logic about this, about “off market” deals is kind of off, like there are plenty of ways to make money skirting the rules, taking advantage of old people etc, and there are more profitable ways than real estate to do that, at that point your not really a real estate investor, your just someone making money not playing by the rules of your competition and taking advantage of people, which to me shouldn’t be considered “a real estate strategy”

We have a lot of off-market inventory, much of that being MF

Hi @Brian MalavskyFor us in Columbus, squeezing in STR guests between MTR tenants can be profitable for reducing vacancies and increasing rental income, especially with platforms like Airbnb or VRBO.

Plan B is that if I'm unable to refi, I'll sell off my only SFR and then I can pay off over 60% of the credit card debt and then I'll try again to refi.

With a table saw you can either cut plywood to size and do nice woodwork, or you can lop off your hand.

I would recommend starting slowly with one purchase and building off of that as you learn the business.

Where I live in Lake Tahoe, Nevada there are HOA associations have been poorly run, multiple insurance claims from snow damage, and as a result are increasing fees to cover the low fees of the past and capital expenditures that have been put off for years. 

You won't get off the ground with $20,000, and you should wait the 4 years until you have a proper amount

Each time you clear a balance off a card it reports great things to your credit score!