So, let’s break it down and clarify what sets bookkeepers, accountants, and CPAs (Certified Public Accountants) apart in terms of what they do, what credentials they need, and what they can and can’t do.

Using 50% rule (expenses excluding P&i is 50% of rent) here are the numbers;1800 (rent) - $900 (expenses) - 1468 (heloc) = negative $568/monthAt your rent point with that size unit, your expenses will ve less than depicted by the 50% rule, so let’s use a likely more accurate 40%1800 - 720 (expenses) - 1468 = negative $388/monthNow let’s imagine you self manage and you time is not worth anything (I strongly recommend believing your time is worth less or worth less than a quality PM would charge) with 8% further reduction so expenses are down to 32%1800 - 576 (expenses) - 1468 = negative $244/month. 

I make a decent amount of money nearly from my W-2 (over 100k) but still not enough to easily buy another property this year especially if I have to put down 20%.

They marked it down as a "claim," even though the delivery guy never filed suit, asked for money, or sent a demand letter. 

Given that the property was worth $390K in its current condition, I saw an opportunity to make the numbers work while keeping my upfront costs low.Instead of increasing my cash offer, I negotiated a $25K down payment with the seller carrying the balance for two years through owner financing.

That shows real estate can be possible for anyone; in my opinion, I know everyone has unique and challenging situations, but in principle, anyone who can follow some basic budget fundamentals can save up enough for a down payment.Grateful BiggerPockets continues to bring more people into the industry!

It’s paid off, I would “like” to leave it that way & maximize the cash flow while paying down the heloc between the rental & other income.  

The low down payment house hack is the way to go.

You can take out home equity loan and use that as a down payment on an investment property, but I'm pretty sure your return will be very poor.

You can purchase this with a low-money-down FHA loan.