Using a low down-payment loan on a duplex or small multifamily lets you scale without tying up much cash or touching your existing equity, and it often improves overall cash flow.

I got a study appraised (I haven't committed to the appraisal yet) that claims they can write off anywhere from $76,000 - $117,000.

.• From a flexibility standpoint, I’d personally avoid moving from cash → illiquid equity → variable-rate debt unless the HELOC is already open and unused.A middle ground I’ve seen work well:– Keep auction-ready cash– Open a HELOC now while income and credit are clean– Use excess cash selectively where the return clearly beats your cost of capital– Treat HELOC funds as contingency or bridge capital, not core strategyAs for finding 6% private money at 74% LTV, that usually comes from existing relationships, not marketplaces.

For buyers on the sidelines waiting for “the perfect moment,” appreciation risk is quietly growing.A simple example:A $500,000 home appreciating 4% = $20,000 in value in one yearThat’s real money — even in a slower economy.What This Means Right NowThe labor market is cooling, not collapsingThe Fed may get more flexibility if this trend continuesHousing demand is holding up better than headlines suggestWaiting carries real opportunity cost for buyersStrategy matters more than timing headlines.What to Watch This WeekJanuary Jobs Report (Wednesday)Consumer Price Index (Friday)Retail Sales (Tuesday)Existing Home Sales + Jobless Claims (Thursday)Quick Rate WatchMortgage bonds are testing short-term support levels.

Talk with a CPA if it actually makes sense for your situation because of the time and financial commitment of buying a STR can be greater than the tax savings.

The people who thrive in it are the ones who either genuinely enjoy the hands‑on work and control, or who are honest about their limits and smart enough to outsource when the stress and time commitment start to outweigh the savings.

The buyer than makes an offer based “subject to” the existing loan, thereby obtaining a 2.75% or 3.5% mortgage with little down payment.

The core of your question relates to whether or not you should cashout refi your existing loan to make use of the equity in your home.

Is the 1031 from an existing prior property that you own?

.- Properties with low current rents, as prospective buyers no longer believe that they can simply raise rents, and in many cases, market rents are lower than existing rents.How do we know where the market is going?