Sell It or Rent it- HELOC Short Term Safety Net for Rentals

[Anthony Parsons]

Hello.  Your advice is greatly appreciated!!  I'm trying to determine if I should rent my current home or sell it.  What I'd prefer to do is rent it out for long-term purposes as I am 43 and this will pay my future home off when I retire.  If I sell I can make about 50-60k after fees.  Scenario upfront, questions at the end of the post. 

I don't have any debt and have good credit (low-mid 700's) but limited savings after recently paying off a card. I make a good salary (160k) and my current mortgage is $1900 at 2.25%, I believe I can rent it for $2400-2500. In 3 years I will have over $2500 additional monthly due to child support ending, and I am curious in the interim if a HELOC is a good backup plan should renters default or the market crash and I have trouble renting. Once I initially move this summer I will have enough to cover both properties monthly should I have to, but it would be tight. I'm trying to figure out a safety net.

 So A) Sell it and make 50-60k or rent it and B) Is Heloc a good safety net?  

Again, thank you for the feedback.