It all depends on the work you/your clients want to do to create value and the overall game plan.

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

I'm presently a facilities engineer by trade, who does some construction and maintenance for landlords on the side, hoping to get back into the private real estate game.

The city itself is established, older neighborhoods, better city amenities (museums, arts/music etc), more pro sports, more hills, bigger river, has a streetcar, arguably better nightlife overall.

Removing all skills from the equation, if you don't take a break from participating as a real estate investor in some way each day, you will stay far ahead of everyone else who keeps subbing themselves out and then asking to get back in when the game is already out of reach.

If you don't/won't have WiFi then you should either consider a SimpliSafe system that you can move around from house to house, or some type of Trail cameras like hunters use for identifying game areas.

2024 will go down as, "The Year of Taking Action".Getting back in the game came with some challenges.

That is an upfront game plan with numbers that should be somewhat fail proof if done correctly.Lastly dont forget that 85% of people who take out a HELOC end up doing a refinance within 3 years to consolidate into one loan. 

They don't understand how to price effectively, study the market, set boundaries with tenants, establish policies and procedures, communicate, and dozens of other things.

For example I know many who are now just lending because they are getting 10-12% short term which is far better than any cap rate on real estate. you do not have the equity upside as you do real estate but its a way to play the short game to see what happens over the next 12-24 months and decide when you want to buy.