Move to "cheaper" REI location or keep a higher salary?

[Kelly H.]

I currently live in Hawaii and am a few years out from getting started in REI (I'd like to save between $80-100k before getting started), but am taking this time to learn and educate myself on the ins and outs. My goal is to become proficient in both flips and BRRR, and possibly vacation rentals as well.

Starting out in REI, if I stay in Hawaii I would be able to earn roughly $100-120k annually if I stay in my current line of work. If I were to move to the mainland, this would likely fall to approximately $70-90k a year, so roughly a $30k difference. However, living on the mainland would afford me more opportunities to get started and grow sooner (I think?) as well as the option to house hack, which doesn't seem very feasible in Hawaii as a new investor. I would be going into this with essentially zero debt, good credit, and possibly access to a HELOC as my family's property is fully paid off, valued roughly between $800-900k.

So my questions are...

1) Given my general situation, is it better to keep the higher salary and stay in the more expensive market, or sacrifice some of that (~$30k) to take advantage of househacking/other opportunities in cheaper markets?

2) How much does access to the HELOC change/benefit my situation, and what would be the best way to leverage that starting out?

3) I know I can get started for less, but I prefer to take a more conservative route starting out, so is saving up $80-100k a wise goal or is this too passive, also considering question 1 where I have the option to move.

I have so many more questions but I'll just leave it at these for now.  I've learned quite a bit just browsing the forums and will continue to do so, so thank you all for your generosity in sharing your knowledge!