On the other hand, tenants tend to cause damages when moving these appliances in/out, so having them in place may be safer.I recommend you look at what others are doing in your community and price point.

So, with a mix of retail and residential, I'd recommend something in the middle is a good starting point.

If you work in any of these fields or you are a landlord and you can recommend some to me, your help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,Jason

Recommend you don't make an offer. 

In most cases, I don't recommend renting out your primary residence especially if you have no rental experience and that is because usually your primary residence was bought without the idea of renting it out.  

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

You reference taking out a HELOC and those are generally provided when the property is in your personal name, which I don't recommend for investment properties.Overall, it sounds as if you're tired of dealing with "long distance" ownership.

I recommend terminating their lease now.

I highly recommend consulting with a CPA or tax professional to ensure you're using the best strategy for your situation.Good luck!

My wife and I have overhauled our personal budget to reflect the 'pay yourself first' approach (allocate in order: income comes in -> invest -> donate -> fixed expenses -> variable expenses -> fun $$).We are looking to see what experienced people generally recommend for a holding tank for that 'invest' allocation while we target our first real estate deal.What financial vehicles have you guys used that works well for this?