Maybe they adjust for REO vs. rehabbed in 2017 but I doubt it. 

Actually,, YOUR State law dictates the period required to return a sec deposit statement.For some one like this,, I would have done a statement with outstanding rent owed and included a statement the date apartment was listed for rent,, and that the outstanding balance due would be adjusted as to the date the apartment is rented.You might have missed your window,, you might be out everything,, What did tenant sign when she left ???

However, if my intention is to use the equity from said HELOC/Home Equity Loan as a down payment on a rental, doesn't it make more sense to take a fixed rate Home Equity Loan so I am not subject to the adjustable rates of a HELOC?

HELOCs typically have adjustable interest rates that are tied to the prime rate, while mortgages typically have a fixed rate.

I am planning to get in there with my contractors monday, to define my costs a little more thoroughly before making an adjustments to our original offer.     

The discount points are higher -- here's FNMA's Loan Level Pricing Adjustment matrix -- or you can take a higher rate if you wish. 

If you have all tenants on M2M you can quickly adjust by raising their rents when rates go up depending on your state regulations. 

But if you're buying retail, you're setting yourself up to go upsidedown with even the smallest of market adjustments.2: If the numbers work a flip could be a good way to make money to put into future deals.

However in terms of predicting “just how low” a downturn can go and making your adjustments now?

For example, if we sell, he won't just get the initial money back, but it will be CPI-adjusted.