Angela, refinancing your property at the current lower rate (Today's 15yr fixed purchase rate: 6.8% APR) can fund a down payment for another property, enhancing your portfolio. 

ANOTHER pen and paper analysis, Coffee shop millionaires :) I NEVER use a calculator, no need, welI........I stopped readying after the 1 mill purchased and gross of about 80, NOTHING else matters.

I like the idea of selling shares to pay down the mortgage I'd have on it or use it for the next purchase, maybe a 1031. 

Praying they don’t give me any issues, is it safe to reach out and let them know my intentions before closing on the house?  

A little bit about my experience in Real Estate… I started a couple years ago doing some house flips in Detroit ( It was a 2 year plan) then decided to sell everything, moved to Washington DC which can’t afford anything in the DMV area but last year I purchased a very nice 3500 SQFT Duplex in Shaker Heights, suburb of Cleveland. 

Hard Money will fund 90% of the purchase price and 100% of the rehab on a draw schedule.

I run into this situation a lot where owners buy a property and then they move out for some reason and want to rent out the property but unfortunately the property was not purchased as an investment and the income will not support the expenses every month.If I were you, I would look into a different strategy so you are able to have some positive cash flow every month.Have you thought about furnishing the unit and doing Air BNB, or furnished mid-term rentals?

Ed, The deal fell through on the land we were going to purchase. 

I have purchased properties in the past with owner financing.

I settled on NBT bank for my 7 family purchase.