They pay a fee and go on their merry way.

In his words, this is away around the due on sale clause that you can run into in a sub - to transaction.My question - if the seller puts the property in a trust, will this avoid the potential of a due on sale clause?

I've got about $525K in equity in the property, but lenders have told me that I cannot get a HELOC to access that equity for additional purchases because the duplex was financed as an investment - they have said TX law dictates that HELOC can only be used on primary residences.

Anything 2-4 units is good for a first one, but its worth paying extra to be in a good area so you can learn how to manage your property.

Here are a few things to try.

I have had a long term interest in purchasing an investment property and I'm looking to be smarter about this.

Please get some help with this. 

Start connecting with local investors or attend meetups. it’s one of the best ways to learn and get insight.

They initiated the counter offer process on the property, but the counter net is more than we feel we should go on this one. 

For a bit of context, my wife and I recently moved to Tennessee and after renting for a bit we are just about to close on our first property.