I've been in Real Estate since '87 so I like to invest in what I know but outside of my company, in my personal portfolio I have about 20% outside of Real Estate assets in other types of debt instruments, private equity, and a bit in the traditional stock market. 

If you have to, interview a couple until you find one that you "click" with. 2) Let that agent connect you with their network of investor-friendly lenders. 3) Meet with these lenders, have them talk over your finances with you and what loan products you would qualify for at the moment based on your income and assets. 4) Let the outcome of that conversation (#3) dictate your strategy moving forward and take your findings back to the realtor so you can craft a plan. 

These are generally 12-24 month interest only loans that borrowers will generally pay back by selling or flipping to long term financing like DSCR loans.More on DSCR loans:DSCR loans won't use your income to underwrite the loan.DSCR loans are based off of down payment, credit score and either actual or market rents so it helps to supercharge an investor's real estate goals and net worth.Here's a bit more in detail about how rates are calculated for DSCR loans:1.

This cost of debt comes through where people have to borrow to afford the item, like a car, or business Capex and of course, a home.

We have a standard fee (paid by the guest) which varies based on the home size and complexity, and comes to roughly $25/hr though we pay a flat rate.

We have a milder climate down here in Columbus, so $300 sounds about right based on your experience. 

I'm going to preface this with I'm not an accountant or certified tax-preparer but the previous advice seems slightly off (maybe based off old forms). 

You can simply let your new property sit and make money debt free until you have the need for the cash. 

It's still probably a scam based on what you've written.Yes, I have been served already.

Most capital providers require a 700+ FICO for a Cash-Out Refinance of 5+ units and six months of seasoning to use a new appraised value instead of the cost-based approach.