An an effective way to use a HELOC would be on a value add/BRRRR deal.

Ask how they handle routine maintenance and emergencies and whether they have established relationships with cost-effective and reliable vendors.By focusing on these critical factors, you’ll be in a solid position to hire a property manager who can take the stress out of managing your rental property while helping you maximize your investment.If anyone has more specific questions, feel free to ask—I am happy to share more detailed advice!

Ultimately, late rent/no rent payments or damage to the property can be extremely costly. 

I had to fix damages and clean extensively after she left.

Document the condition thoroughly for future reference and estimates.If the property is of interest, it’s crucial to have professionals assess potential structural damage, electrical issues, or mold remediation costs.

However (I'm an insurance agent not an attorney) the legal wrangling of the PM not taking a necessary action could set up a situation where the insurance carrier pays then subrogates back against the PM company for their inaction so the property manager should also have appropriate general liability coverage for their business.This next part can change by state and insurance carrier...Being named as lienholder or mortgagee can set up the lender being involved on the payout of any damages - say there is a fire the checks cut for damage could name the insured and lender so both parties have to agree how those funds will be used.Some carriers have a rule that if the loss amount is under a certain dollar amount the check is only cut in the owners name / if the loss exceeds a threshold (say $25k) the check is cut in both the owner and mortgagee names.Being named as loss payee is literally that - the check is cut in your name or both the insured and your name. 

About a month ago I had a contractor replace a roof that got damaged from a storm but when they had the shingles off another storm blew through overnight and blew the tarp off and a lot of water got in the house.

If there is one you would need to take into consideration the effects of the costs associated with that vs. your new savings via the lower interest rate.

The upsides gotta be worth it for the brain damage of it all. 

Anyone know which brand is the most cost effective and how much it may cost for that size ?