You don't want to have several banks and have to educate each banker. 

Do we involve a lawyer a banker don’t know where to start. 

you would fall all over yourself if someone came in with a 700... that's just a fact.. being a lender there and the largest HML in Mississippi for a few decades I am in tune with this and with the bankers.. 

If you do the HELOC you should find out from your banker first what is the real LTV if you're not the owner occupant. 

- Many steps left out: due diligence, the million phone calls to the banker, seller, appraisers etc, juggling a dozen things including home, family and jobs and other real estate holdings

I am a Mortgage banker as a day job and I bought my first rental this year.

I'm a local commercial mortgage banker in Los Angeles and I know the South Bay area.

We have two former Goldman analysts on our screening committee and we're about to roll out a loan committee with some gray beard bankers, lawyers, and CPAs to provide a nice, diverse set of perspectives on risk and other matters.Our marketing team is working on a SaaS one-pager and standing up a webpage to describe the offering.  

I am sure there are meet ups in Tip 3# Start building your network and ask the local investors recommendations for realtors, bankers, general contractors etc you have to work on creating a teamStay away from Naysayers and surround yourself with individuals who are smarter than you and learn from them.Get ActiveGood Luck 

I'm fairly new to this but being a banker in this neighborhood gives me a some what good insight.