Based on my limited searching, rent values are only about 20% less in those areas and properties are probably 50% cheaper.

Provide that leadership and the sky is the limit.

In Texas, the limit on cash out loans is 80% and that threshold is still present but if you own your primary home free and clear your HELOC can now be up to 80% of the value of the property.3.  

USDA loans have some big limitations- the property must be in a USDA area and you have income caps.  203k is a great option if you find the right property.  

The savings can be used to buy another investment property that will give you at least neutral cash flow and you can still totally deduct the mortgage interest and state taxes on your investment properties instead of having those deductions limited in your single family home.

(financial things)..to include but not limited to any new leases or modification of existing leases together with rent rolls, with respect to borrower financial conditionThanks for your time

By using the BRRRR strategy I am limited to the amount of property I can purchase at one time (with the amount of cash I have saved), considering the rehab time and time frames I have to have the property before refinancing and taking that money to reinvest vs buying multiple SFR with conventional financing that need some work, but could be rehabbed within a couple months and the work is being done on multiple homes at once vs 1 multifamily.

Everyone has their own preferences, for both REI and Cars, but they are based on their own sets of criteria, limitations, and strengths...which you have not stated here...yet.

In my limited experience with portfolio loans, lenders typically use mostly the same criteria that a bank would use for traditional financing, but will allow a borrower to go over 10 loans if their finances justify it.

Some tenants will push your limits to see what they can get away with.