Would a HELOC or home equity loan on my personal home be a good idea to fund this?  

@Kris Lou Many factors go into PMC pricing:1) Locality (city/state)2) Neighborhood & Property Class (time to manage Class A < Class B < Class C < Class D)3) Property condition (slumlord properties hard to manage)4) Number of units (some economies of scale, but not as much as owners think)5) Owner expectations (some owners really want a personal assistant!)

Managing five rentals can eat up a ton of time in any given week, often at times that are inconvenient to you and your personal interests (family, hobbies, travel, etc.).Of course you can manage on your own.

A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant who specializes in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.You may want to consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for a accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

Private money and personal funds.

You have to decide if it's worth putting your house at risk to save $200 to $400 per month.

Personally, I think I would stack some cash for a year or so while I did this. 

If someone injures themselves and sues, they will be suing the LLC and not you personally.

I typically don't comment on other's businesses unless I know from personal experience.

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.