Some can actually be pretty cheap.

If you trust your friend as a tenant, renting at $2,000 now and increasing to $2,100 next year is reasonable.

However, for some reason I wouldn't feel badly at all selling to the highest bidder)-The other is worth maybe 525, owe $240K on it at 2.85%, and am currently renting it for 2250.  

this is the distinct different between being an actual lender like a bank .. and an investor in a fund.. two very separate transactions.. when you lend and receive collateral on the asset you get paid when it pays off or the borrower refinances etc. 

Theres not really a good reason to go out and find buyers if you dont have a deal.

I purchased my first home through NACA to actually live in and I'm curious on how to build my RE portfolio from here.

Happy New Year.I grew up in Dallas, graduated at Lake Highlands,  and my sister manages a complex in old East Dallas actually.  

There's a reason security is there.

In your case since your properties are paid off, I don' see any reason why you would use a higher interest HELOC instead of just doing a cash out refinance.  

No maintenance/cap ex, vacancy, PM, book keeping, asset protection, miscellaneous, etc.his actual cash flow when properly allocating for sustained expenses is a fraction of his advertised cash flow.