If you are taking on debt for the STR this gets a little more complicated, but not much. 

Used your HELOC to fund the down payment on a second property if the right opportunity presents, otherwise those returns wouldn’t be juicy enough for me to take on more debt for the sake of scaling if you’re buying at retail. 

Instead of evicting them, i was thinking is there some way that I could rent it back to him for very cheap (mainly to cover just the taxes/ insurance) ie 2k a year rather than the going rate of 2k a month for similar properties.

On property number one, I would cash flow $750 a month after mortgage, taxes, and insurance if I also rent out the unit I live in.

I mainly want to ask if these assumptions are reasonable and if there's anything I haven't considered:(1) multifamily units in NJ close to New York City, ~$1,000,000, 20% down payment, (2) Using the following assumptions: 4% appreciation rate, 6.5% interest rate and 5.0% refinance after 5 years, $10,000 yearly maintenance fee(3) ~$6,000 monthly rental and assume 3% increase yearly with 5% vacancy rate(4) Based on the above, the calculated IRR if selling at the 10th year is ~19% (considering tax benefits) and ~17% (without tax benefits).

@Shiloh Lundahl Awesome, thank you ok so having that 10-20k as a buy in is important, to first getting into it.... it helps get those first deals started.... just as an aside : I am also just starting out doing finder's fee methods - with tax foreclosure overages refunds, and assett recovery / state funds refunds... so I think those can help me to get that intial 10-20,000.... it might take me some months, but I think I can get there.... that's my initial plan, at leastAnd if I can get that saved up, then that will help me break into deals....

Another option is investing in real estate through partnerships or fractional ownership, focusing on properties that yield cash flow or appreciation potential.For long-term growth, consider diversifying into assets such as private equity, tax liens, or even certain types of real estate that offer both capital appreciation and income potential over time.

Taxes, maintenance, vacancies, management are all different on each property.

Two, you'll have a much easier time obtaining a mortgage product if you have a track record of W2 income.In the meantime, continue implementing the strategies you mentioned: save religiously, build your credit, pay any existing debt owed, etc.

Beyond immediate safety concerns, the long-term financial implications, including taxes, are a pressing issue for those impacted by the disaster.