It's totally normal to feel a bit overwhelmed.One thing that really helped me was diving into real-world examples.

Screen and approve the applicant like normal.

Is this normal?

., stolen smoke detectors, fire extinguishers) or cover costs for anything beyond normal wear and tear.

Look for opportunities to increase your income, like a higher-paying job, a side hustle, a new business venture, a new real estate investment, or something else.Avoid lifestyle inflation: As your income increases, you may be tempted to upgrade your lifestyle, but not everything you buy will increase your net worth.

I find as I finance BRRR folks and flippers over the years their estimated profits are normally very high and based on perfection.. 

If not I would do exactly what you were suggesting and just normally invest.

Normal unfurnished long term property management is normally 8-12% but MTR is a lot more involved than that.

It’s normal to feel unsure with everything happening in the world, but real estate is usually a long-term investment.

If you have a $20k credit card at 19.99%, use the HELOC to pay that off and then take the money you would normally pay on that credit card debt to cover the rest of the HELOC payment so you can hold the properties.