REITS are fickle and can change course very quickly so I wouldn't count on them as an exit or safe haven.

Does the bank count the rental income along with property value when looking at a refinance?

Cycles happen in all aspects of life, so far it seems we can also count on economic cycles.

Will the equity in the home count toward the down payment if I refinance with a lending institution at a later date?

Not all the expenses before your start your businesses counts as start up expenses/ organizational expenses.  

Intention probably has a lot to do with whether or not it counts, so even the scenario I just posed will probably not pass a couple introductory questions from a lender; but go ask and that way you'll know.Using a lender to finance the renovations can have it's own hardships, like inspections before payments are released.

I was counting on the refinance money of a rehab property I just finished and rented out.

Also, would painting the outside of the house count as an improvement to the property?

I've been running across a lot of discrepancies when it comes to square footage and number of bedrooms on properties I'm looking to buy in Indiana. The MLS listing will have one thing, Zillow/realtor.com will have ano...

@Robert Tinker a lot of investors are willing to pay the high prices counting on long term appreciation and future cash flow rather than immediate cash flow.