I have a 6-figure land business & am just here to help (no affiliate links).The best land investing program I have seen is Jonathon Haveles with The Land Method and Land Riches Blueprint. 

Many would suggest against RE investing using retirement money but if you go into low risk opportunities it can be a powerful diversification method.

The BRRRR method is a great way to quickly build up a rental portfolio and considering you are in one of the fastest appreciating markets in the US, you will be able to profit off of appreciation as well as rental income.I am a real estate agent for off-market distressed properties here in Fort Worth, Arlington and surrounding areas.

You would end up saving the higher interest rate on the HELOC as well as closing costs.

I am doing my best to accommodate and fix the insulation as well as see if there are programs in place to lower the cost. however i want to be firm with tenant as they are not compliant with paying rent because of the cost of the utilities.

Find Brandon's videos on YouTube for the "four square" method of analyzing homes and practice.

While the borrowing costs are higher, I’m exploring strategies where the returns could offset this.

I prefer markets that experience mild winters to eliminate the added costs brutal winters can bring. 

Is the only way to pay for a Reno for my childhood home to sell my current home or is there a method I'm not familiar with that I can use my current homes value to help me out??

Tenant shall be charged $[amount] to cover the cost of this force-placed insurance.The other lesson is that you should never hand over keys until you have proof the Tenant has met all requirements.