Best way to buy a house in another state that I’ll eventually live in, but not yet

I currently live in Oregon, still work full time, and own my current house outright. I want to buy a house in Michigan, where I grew up, to stay a couple months a year and eventually move there to live in full-time when I retire in a few years. I don’t want to rent it out or use it as an Air BnB when I’m not there, so it’s not really an investment property.

If I find a house that I want to buy in Michigan, should I work with lenders in Michigan or Oregon? Would it be considered a 2nd home or vacation home even if I’m not paying on any other mortgage right now? What is the criteria for lenders to assess the interest rate in situations like this since this will be my only mortgage? I’ve also been reading about taking a HELOC on my house and buying another house with it instead of taking out a mortgage, but I’m not clear on the pros/cons of that.

When I retire, I plan to sell this house and then pay off the house in Michigan and have no mortgage again. I haven’t found any scenarios online or reddit that is quite the same so I appreciate any advice or information anyone can share. Thanks in advance for your help.

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