Do I wait another year to save more, or do I look into a HELOC or a VA cash-out refinance? 

So - somewhere 2 hours away, or somewhere you like to vacation in, or where all your family lives, or where you plan to move someday.Too many people are trying to do exactly what you're doing - pick a market based on a formula - and they end up buying a random 'cheap' property thousands of miles away, turn it over to people they've never met or even spoken to, and then... lose money.  

People in 2019 thought the market was too competitive and theyd wait.

Since it's already an expensive area, I worry that waiting too long could make it even harder to afford a home when I eventually want to move out of my parents’ house.Looking for advice from experienced investors—what would you do in my situation?

I hate to go that direction, but their negligence has cost us thousands.

This can save thousands annually.  

With rent control in NJ, yeah, it’s mostly a waiting game if tenants don’t leave.

They don't want the company to be potentially liable if an owner doesn't follow through with the inspections and repairs.After the GFC, we needed the capital investment or they would have had to tear down more houses than the thousands that they already have.

You would have to quit claim deed your property from your LLC to your personal name and wait 6 to 12 months, If it was even possible.

If you wait for the problem to occur and then try to educate yourself, you will exacerbate the problem and lose more money.2.