Option A would allow me to keep it as a long term rental .

Quote from @Stacey Wells: Hey everyone,I’ve been researching different funding options for real estate investments and business expansion.

Hey Karolina,I think we've got a few options for you, if you can shoot me a DM I would be happy to help.

@Paige Gardner it depends on the person. hml are my last resource, it's a option for sure. 75% too high for me. that's the game for them, that's how they make its money. don't take it off the table but definitely explore ur options. 

I was going to do that in an attempt to get creative with my financing options so that there are no liens on it and I could borrow against it as an option.

Seller financed loans where there was no downpayment- See #2 above as typically seller financed have lower rates, longer terms and higher LTV.

If you're considering Real Estate as an option in the future, I would not add the money to either of these accounts. 

What other options would be good?  

Yes, House Hacking seems like the most ideal option when considering my first investment (open to other forms of ownership, such as live-in flips as well).

My area is relatively low crime, but had one place that someone broke a window to get in.... probably a homeless guy looking for a place to sleep....got scared when neighbor turned light on.I put in a SimpliSafe unit... portable, easy to set up, multiple options- you can use a webcam and get alerts on your phone and future tenant can pay for full service if they want.