With proper investment, I plan to acquire properties with failing septic systems cheap and satisfy title 5 using alternative plumbing systems.

So I failed.

It failed several times.

It's an option that can be used to get into the business, but if you should do it can only be determined by you and your husband, possibly with the help of a CPA or similar professional. 20-45k is generally enough to get started, depending on what you're getting into and where you are.If you are going to be risking your primary residence with a HELOC, my suggestion is that you make sure you could handle the possibility of that money going into a failing investment and getting lost.

If your inspection fails you can walk away right? 

And I have roots, big roots growing into the clay pipe that will fail at some point.

I can’t fathom how residential real estate investors fail.

Failing that, always assume the worst anyway, and explain to the Seller why you are fully justified in giving them a horribly low Offer.

Warning: it seems to fail a lot of "rules" of thumb.  

gotcha... although if you just hand in the keys your walking from your downpayment and whatever cash you have in it.your sense are correct all these folks singing on massive debt with 5 year calls are taking a certain amount of risk.. just need to look back to 08 09 when no one could refi and all these properties changed hands.. it was not because of poor operators basically it was frozen credit and banks not relenting or walls st.. hedgefund bought said notes from failed banks and refused to rewrite and took the assets.. since they paid pennies on the dollar for the paper.. foreclosing and reselling was still a better play for them..