Popular choices like Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard let you invest in a range of stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs.

If you stay elsewhere, consider relocating to a thriving, affordable market like Charlotte or Tampa, where you can house hack or live in a property before transitioning it to a rental.Good luck!

Personally if you are looking to grow in real estate going the traditional method/way of getting good properties under agreement with traditional financing will get you to where you want to go faster than trying to find all the needles in a haystack.

I lived in St Paul for 19 years and now live in a suburb of St Paul for the last 6 years.

Quote from @JooYung Choi: You could consider going for a STR in a vacation market that will give you way more cash flow to pay off the HELOC quicker.

I'm finishing renovations on a studio apartment (under another unit in a multi-family) in the next few days and am trying to decide on what strategy to use to rent it.

It essentially includes having a buyer for a specific property BEFORE entering  in a contract with a seller.  

Have I done it in A-class, yes I have. 

While this strategy may work, the way it's structured right now leaves you with no leverage and puts you in a risky position as a beginner.

I have a duplex in a premium location.