That was a prime investing market, so your experience won't be the same today, but you can definitely improve your station in life within 5-10 years.

I thought BP was more or less about helping others save money, invest that money and  make more $$$ while improving our own situations simultaneously.I understand that you might be looking out for people that are not overly positive in the cash flow, (good on ya) but I don't see a downside to spending/earning the same amount and have NO house payment in several years. 

A general credit line, on the other hand, could be secured by other assets or unsecured, and doesn't necessarily involve your home equity.HELOC Characteristics: - Uses your home as collateral - Usually has a lower interest rate than unsecured credit lines - Typically has a variable interest rate - Allows you to borrow up to a certain limit, repay, and borrow again during the draw period - Can be used for various purposes, including home improvements, debt consolidation, or as an emergency fund While it's possible to use a HELOC for RE investing or rehab projects, some lenders may be hesitant about this use.

So you are happy that the event is exclusionary at prices that perhaps exclude the person that is trying very hard to improve themselves.

With IB off, we are still at 75% occupancy, so I guess there is room for 25% improvement.  

Their behavior is not likely to improve.  

Maybe Intuit's newest version is improved, but speaking to a tech in India or Phillipines when I had a question and waiting on hold was a horrible experience.  

Looking to access equity for improvements to a rental in San Antonio 

Lenders typically consider rental income as part of your overall income, which can help improve your debt-to-income ratio and potentially make you eligible for a better rate.

Even if you bought with all cash and did ZERO renovations or capital improvements, just with the missing expenses mentioned above, your cash-on-cash return would be closer to 6-7%.You should re-evaluate the complete analysis to see for yourself.