I've heard of "blanket mortgages" which I thought might be a better option for me so I could use the equity in both properties and only need to get one mortgage.

@Carlos OlivaDepends on the state and the use of funds, but typically it’s as easy as it sounds.

My understanding is that they typically call up and go to the section 8 office directly to get a good relationship with those working there, who can then cherry pick the best section 8 renters for them.

Good option for getting money for further investing?

I think other options can get you places much faster. 

Which option is the best route business-wise is a complex decision.

There are no perfect options.  

Louis County or the Metro East, but I came up with zilch for Jefferson County.Northern JeffCo is pretty typical suburbia, but it then turns semi-rural very quickly as you get away from the 270 belt and seems to be quite different from St.

May be beneficial to join prop radar and refine search options to search this way.

The best option is to proceed with a cash-out refinance utilizing a DSCR loan. you can grab up to 75%LTV all by using the current tenant's lease agreements to cover the debt service requirement.