While the “debt to equity” practice may not meet MY PERSONAL definition of “fair”, in and of itself it is not illegal, unethical, or fraudulent.Truth is if the posters warning about the subject have accurately portrayed the specific situation, there is cause for concern.  

To make a long story short, i am told there are quite a few complexities and fees that make it only practical at scale.

He practiced that well and his son is now one of the largest developers in the country, if not the world.The nice thing for investors is that there should be a 2-3 or maybe 4 year gap in major apartment developments coming online. 

@Renee LeFevreTo rent out your basement, follow these steps: check local regulations, prepare the basement with separate entrance, screen potential tenants, draft a lease agreement, set the right rent price, consider tax implications, update homeowner's insurance, and build a positive tenant relationship to attract quality renters.Good Luck!

Worst case is I can still rent them as furnished room rentals, or rent the whole house as a furnished rental Check your regulations before you give up.

Act 52 Imposes New Regulations on Real Estate Wholesaling in Pennsylvania - Barley SnyderWhat you need to know about Act 52: Wholesaling!

There should be other options, however with an LLC and fourplex - yes, DSCR is by far most likely to be your best option unless you do the heavy lifting with local banks and credit unions (and these are increasingly not great options for this type of stuff as they move painfully slow and are under lots of regulations and restrictions)2) I haven't yet reached out local banks, but seeing the quotes from brokers makes me wondering if Banks may be better? 

Verify STR regulations in Littleton/Denver and secure permits.

Also, asking for exorbitant fees up front to provide a term sheet is not legitimate or ethical practice.  

A $200,000 duplex might have identical rents in municipality “A” and municipality “B” but the property tax rates will vary, local regulations will dictate licensing requirements, labor rates will vary & the particular location will dictate insurance premiums since insurance carriers will weigh local replacement costs and whether the municipality is viewed as being a “plaintiff friendly” in arriving at insurance premiums.Better situated assets will attract better tenants.