All methods are achievable with the right knowledge and mindset.

Many opt for other investing methods in their SDIRA like private lending, crypto, private equity...anything except collectibles and life insurance.Note that a Solo 401k is exempt from UBIT on leveraged real estate so if you have self employment activity and no full time employees save for you and your spouse you should consider the Solo K as an option. 

Is the only way to pay for a Reno for my childhood home to sell my current home or is there a method I'm not familiar with that I can use my current homes value to help me out??

This method is simple but not precise.

What methods of investing are you looking to do?

Damien,Build-to-Rent (BTR) is a great long-term wealth-building strategy, especially if you have a stable W2 and want to take a more methodical approach to investing.

There are many who will argue my methods and that's fine, it's worked very well for me and has been extremely rewarding in ways that cannot be compensated monetarily. 

I was thinking more of like either refinancing my current VA loan or getting a HELOC and using the equity I have to acquire rentals and potentially doing the BRRRR method to recoup my initial investment.

Creating an LLC and getting insurance on rental are two methods of "Asset Protection" that most real estate investors use to protect themselves and their assets. 

Does anyone have any tips on how to find the right guys or methods that you use to vet people?