You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

There are a few strategies you might consider to accelerate things.One option is a cash-out refinance.

@Brian Chadwicktry a cash out refinance. 

If you can shorten the window on the cash out refinance to the next purchase/refinance the rate is not really a factor.

:)  Is it still cash flowing after the refinance?  

Find a good agent who can write a vacant/builder's risk policy, then during the refinance have them switch to a landlord/fire dwelling 

I’m a full-time sales professional at a global GSI, so I’m seeking relatively efficient strategies.Has anyone successfully used cash-out refinances, 1031 exchanges, or other equity-based approaches to boost income?

I'm looking in miami florida for sites where we could get the numbers to work and we are getting close maybe in homestead. with that you could continue to pull cash out after it was built. in our market we need about .1 acres and we get land under 60k that the investors buy. the build cost is about 75% of appraised value or a little less. the investor refinances out on a DSCR loan and continues on. this strategy is ground up and it takes advantage of the buyers market for land in our market.

You have used home equity lines of credit to purchase investment rentals and want to know the best way to pay down the HELOCs.Between the two properties you bought, after expenses, you have $250 a month positive cashflow to use.What I like to do is pay down some principal every month with my positive cashflow.I use my extra active income from real estate commissions helping other investors to pay down the principal even more which just frees up that credit for me to use again.I know I can refinance the HELOC debt before it changes to principal and interest as it is just interest only payments as yours are.One difference is the cashflow, I have greater positive cashflow and could make the principal and interest payment in the future with the extra cashflow I already enjoy.I always get HELOCs on my income properties as well after purchasing them to pull out as much of my downpayment as possible.

Sounds like a cash out refinance would be the best way to tap into that equity.