That will help you "real-life" the knowledge from the books and learn how everyone's journey is different.You seem like you know the journey is long and your new day job is going to be a very important cog in that wheel.

BP is a great place to start growing your knowledge in preparation for your first investment

Another option will be to use the HELOC to buy a property that needs work, fix it up and then refinance and do the BRRRR strategy, but this is a bit more sophisticate and you want to make sure you have the knowledge and the risk tolerance to do it. good luck!

I'm unsure of how it was calculated or if it may have been an assignment fee that was misinterpreted on their part but they were the seller's agent. 

Here is a framework to think about how buying properties creates the most tax efficiency for you.The 6 levers of depreciation:Lever 1 - % of LandOne of the components of a property is land.Land is NOT DEDUCTIBLE, so low value land properties mean more tax deduction.A value of your overall purchase will be assigned to the land or lot.You receive no near-term tax benefits for buying land.For example - If you buy a $2 MM industrial building outside a rural town on 5 acres, the land value could be $5k an acre.

So they use broad strokes to entice new people to talk to them, but they don't have the knowledge or expertise to do the job.

If you ever need help, I’d love to assist you in gaining more knowledge in real estate investing and blending your construction and remodeling experience for success in this new chapter.

They do not however have the knowledge, credit score, or physical ability anymore to fix or get into real estate.

Keep in mind typically townhomes give assigned parking and limit you to 2 parking spaces, so nearby visitor parking or the option to purchase a 3rd spot would be crucial.Layout: With house hacking, more bedrooms the better.

While I'm not certain about your current real estate objectives, I can assure you that this is an excellent platform to enhance your knowledge and connect with others in the field.