I'll likely be higher priced on an owner-occupied restaurant franchise, but you've been around the block and have a significant track record.

Avantstay, a newer entrant in Houston's short-term rental market, offers owners a range of services, including impressive marketing, thorough guest screening, and comprehensive property management.

Rights only an owner can convey, not your neighbor, not your Sunday bowling league buddy, only the property owner. 

If not I wouldn't bother selling as there is an incredible amount of money lost in buying and selling properties, so you have to make sure you have a plan to maximize the equity and actually have enough. 

If you're willing and able, I do recommend the "house hacking" strategy which is just a fancy name for buying a rental property and living in one of the units, because you'll get very favorable financing - an owner-occupied fixed-rate 30-year mortgage.I'd also say, analyze that property as if you won't live there and it's a pure rental, and make sure the property is still cash flow positive if there's a tenant in your unit because then you'll know if it's actually a good investment.And when you analyze it, include payment of a property manager in your #s because if you don't, and doing so would make it go cash flow negative, then you've just bought yourself a job because you literally can't step away from managing it without losing money.

What is Evernest even doing if all of us property owners are the ones essentially managing things?

I have managed properties from small multi's to large communities on and off for over 30 years.

I am trying to buy my first live in property by mid may in Arizona.

Quote from @Fernando Martin-Gullans: Hey y’all, I’m a retail investor with 2 SFH rentals worth a combined ~$650k looking to utilize some of my stored equity to buy more out-of-state properties, but I’m not quite sure how best to proceed given that my interest rates are incredibly low (leaning me away from refinancing) and neither property is owner-occupied (which I believe prevents me from using a HELOC).

I had a 1031 exchange money to buy an investment property and did not want another fixer upper, so I decided to get a new home that was move-in ready.