If you plan on living off your rental properties you need to have a very healthy cash balance somewhere or easy access to liquidity.

There are wide divides in the multifamily industry and depending on the loan amount there are different lenders (or lender products that you are looking for):Loans under $1M - local banks$1-5MM - Small balance Freddie$2-20MM - FHA (if you are looking for a longer term/fully amortizing debt)$5-50MM - Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac$10MM+ - Portfolio Lenders (large banks or insurance companies). 

I have had the house for 2 years and have paid down the balance very little.

If the size of the room and length of duct needed to get there were not compensated for, then the end result is what your experiencing.You can install manual dampers in the ducting system which can be used to balance the air-flow.

For store credit it's a similar story: they returned something but HD wouldn't give them the cash.To verify all you have to do is meet up with them at the store and have a cashier verify that the card has the balance they claim.

I'm officially sick of them now--I received a statement from them today saying that starting Jan 1st I will be charged $25 per month to maintain my account with them, unless I maintain an average X balance in the account.

I've been looking for a template for a Balance Sheet.

As I’ve watched the balances seesaw, I’ve learned that these accounts aren’t a sure path to financial freedom.

If the taxes and insurance are impounded be sure to also check those escrow balances using the sellers statement and add yourself as additional insured on the insurance policy.

It is unclear what the balance of the second position is but the first position has even more equity insulation than the deal at face value.