Also, there are a variety of issues that may preclude the ability to get a HELOC. 

I invest on the south side of the city doing a variety of things.

There are a variety of options to get into the multi game in Essex, but as @Jessica Zolotorofe  mentioned, the taxes are high so you have to have a strategy in place to make that work.

It is heartening to see tenants make their rental their *home*, when they plant pretty flowers in the beds, flower pots on the porches, keep everything tidy and trimmed, put nice seasonal decorations up.  

The bulk of our borrowers do not qualify for conventional for a variety of reasons like less than 2 year's self employed, debt to income ratio and credit issues that have driven their score too low to qualify.Stephanie

There are a variety of decent options out there.

Like you said, it will only scratch the surface, but I think will help me in a variety of ways which will pay for itself in the long run.

Ideally around a university would probably be better for a variety of reasons but I may need to start in the bad area since its cheaper.

I did have quad tenants break the toilet tank lid and stick plastic flowers in it, jamming and causing a month long toilet leak.  

Hi,I'm a real estate agent and investor in Dallas, working with residential real estate in various Dallas suburbs - Plano, Frisco, Flower Mound, Irving, Coppell, Fort Worth, Justin, Keller, Colleyville, Southlake etc.