You can ask the government for an exception but that takes time and $$$. 

Because if you place a deal under contract and cannot close because of your lack of capital, you will lose all credibility with the broker and lender..Keep in mind that if you are raising money and all investors are passive, it is considered a syndication.

Or have that mortgage paid down and be slightly uncomfortable living with randoms but knowing your place will be governed completely on your terms.

Local government is crap and the city/county split is a contentious issue that causes a lot of problems, but so would a unification.

Like a lot of people, Rich Dad Poor Dad showed me I didn't have stay in the rat race.What product can you sell that everyone needs, doesn't ever go out of style, banks will like to loan you money on, the government allows depreciation write offs against your income, the buyer pays off your loan, the asset appreciates in value, rents go up as a hedge against inflation and it's a hard asset that should not go down to zero value. 

You get a website, and you rank it #1.You make it credible, and WHILE you work on SEO you can do PPC DMM etc. etc.

Check your comps, not a government assessment or Zillow, etc.  

By definition a rumor has no credible source. 

The issue that you will run into with an unsecured loan is that the money has to be seasoned for 60 days in your bank account before you can use it on conventional or government loans.

You might as well buy a MF with more units so you get more cashflow.But to answer your question - I like Cincinnati, Ohio MSA.Rents are high vs. purchase priceUnemployment is lowRents are increasingGovernment is generally friendly to investorsTaxes are still relatively low (compared to Chicago)Government is investing in developing certain areas in the cityI am closing on the purchase of a 42-unit building in Bond Hill in Cincinnati right now for $1.6M with a gross rents of about $25,000/month exceeding the 1% rule.Your $250K downpayment can buy you a $1M building with rents of $10K/month or more.