In your case since your properties are paid off, I don' see any reason why you would use a higher interest HELOC instead of just doing a cash out refinance.  

Quote from @Devin James: Im currently learning this lesson with New Builds that have taken twice as long to complete than anticipated.....Finishing a Real Estate project ASAP is critical because...1) Holding Costs add up quickly- Loan Interest- Property Taxes- Insurance2) Investor Capital- Our financial projections are dependent on how fast we can turn our investors capital.

The entitlements would cost 50k to do. we'd make 2 million on the land if we do the deal. stick to the same market and same asset class. we do urban adjacent urban infill for midrise in hotels and extended stays and apartments in Columbus Ohio. what market are you in?

My duplex - built 1989, 2,060 sf, 2 bed/bath, 1 year old roof, value if I subdivide (county already approved) and sell each separately $150k each ($300k total)Investor duplex - built 1995, 2,300 sf, 2 bed/bath, 5 year old roof, value around $310kThe investors initial request was for an equal trade and they would pay realtor fees, which I replied wouldn't be equal due to buying/selling costs (recording fees, title insurance, closing fee, survey, inspections, loan fees, 1031 fees, accountant fees, repairs), taxes would increase due to new sale price, I'd trade a 3.75% mortgage for a higher one, and I'm on the 10th year of a 30 year loan so resetting that to a new loan would restart amortization and pay more towards interest.

You can expect turnover costs, losses due to vacancies, and other expenses.

All in one closing so the costs are minimal. 

We got started, but they hired an appraiser and charged me $750, while typically appraisal costs around $500.

Private lending using retirement funds is my personal favorite (I've done a few dozen loans like this) for the following reasons: passive, low risk, and high returns.

They reason why they would do this is to get $4 million, and they won't have to foreclose into a bad resale market. 

(aside from the 1 or 2 homes that have stunning overlook views).When building out your buy box, are you all using the averages, or are you basing your min/max on the cream of the crop listing revenues, even when there aren't clear reasons as to why they are performing so much better than others?