You are paying 1k to have him as a potential buyer.

If you have more than one LLC, each LLC should have its own set of accounts.Checking: Collect all income here, then use it to pay bills, the mortgage, or maintenance.

However, even though they both have jobs now, they still do not pay the weekly rent that they promised to pay.

If rates come down (most likely not in 2025) you can refinance or just shovel cash-flow and pay it down quicker. 

especially no up front money to pay for set up . 

I assume your wish to use a HELOC is to avoid paying interest when you are not actively rehabbing a BRRRR.

House hacking is a great start since you're paying rent already.  

The fact they're paying you at all is a minor miracle.

Newsom's plan is lazy governing.   

I am planning to get into the TN real estate market as my first investment and am looking for some information.In particular: Areas to steer clear of, property management fees, typical cosmetic rehab costs, etc.My strategy is to put large down payments on 2 properties (relative to housing prices) to help pay for my living in NY while still gaining appreciation in a growing real estate market.