If you want to be vary hands on in the process find an agent that will guide you every step.

Now you repeat that process until it's paid off.Disadvantages:It took a while for me to set up.Bank account is always low, lol.People can spend a lot with that amount of credit.People think I'm weird when I tell them DId you analyze what would happen if you moved all of that money you were using to pay off a heloc, not get a heloc and put that money in a treasury or other type of account that got you 6% interest or invest in an ETF or something lower risk?

It sounds like you / your parents should just hire a professional property manager for the inherited properties.  

If your firend wants to stay in the place AND has the funds/income to do so, they need to refinance in their name ASAP (as part of the process), not 5 yeas from now, not if they remarry, not 10years from now.   

Below are some actionable steps I plan to take after identifying a market:- find a rock star agent by referral and/or calling brokerages and asking to connect with their top producing agents- find a rock star contractor by referral and/or yelp- have control over construction by setting per diems to incentivize contractor to finish the project on time, within budget, and with good quality- leverage my rock star agent's time to check up on the construction process (checks and balances)- hire independent handymen/inspectors to check up on the construction process for a flat fee (checks and balances) There's competition everywhere, you won't escape that in any market. 

Would like to get the process going. 

You also need to account for the eviction process, state laws etc...

Your account structure depends on your goals for growth and if you plan to self-manage or hire a PM.

My wife (who's from CR) and I are early in the process. 

I need to do some research on what credit score I need to actually begin this process