It all depends on the work you/your clients want to do to create value and the overall game plan.

Yeah that sounds like a good plan!

You're off to a great start by educating yourself and planning to attend meetups—that’s where the magic happens!

That is the plan. 

I will preface this with the fact that I have a legal background, specifically with estate planning and asset protection.

Used houses in the area sell anywhere from $75-125 a square foot.These are long term rentals that I do not plan to sell.I am reading the Rental Property Investing book and implementing the method that focuses on cash flow and that strategy states you need to have $300 cash flow per month, per property.

. - AOA Debt Reporting Service: letter sent w 120 days to pay (with credit bureau reporting) after which it rolls over contingency plan with collection agency getting 38%.I know I would not want the task for what they charge.  

I feel a loss of direction and that makes it really hard for me to focus and build.Do we keep at building a portfolio of small multi family (very abundant in my market, very rare to find anything above a triplex for sale), with plans of selling the portfolio and 1031'ing into larger properties? 

Will you use the HELOC as a short-term bridge, or plan to hold it longer?

I plan to put a $600 utility cap in the lease.