Obviously I want to keep my costs low but still want to spring for amenities that would give me a competitive edge compared to other rentals.

As others have noted credit unions are generally competitive on HELOC's. 

Again, this is due to how long it was taking to get work done, the quality and lack of communication (I'm happy to post examples as well), and frankly, the quality of work expected once I realized how many things I was not told about before the purchase.However, you did not offer in any way to address issues left by the prior tenant and made it clear that it was my responsibility.

Check Furnished Finder, Zillow, as well as AirBnb and VRBO (30+ day stays) to see what sort of competition is in that specific market.

It's not too expensive however, after buying our condo in the summer we are lacking the capital to go in on it by ourselves.

Alabama is very business friendly and there isn’t nearly as much competition there as some markets.

That means that there is now competition between hosts and you have to give people a reason to book your unit over another hosts.

Since our book, MTRs exploded and got very competitive in some markets.

Based on rough assessment, the following is needed just to get it listed:NeedsLowMidHighRoof$7,747.00$12,580.00$26,037.00Siding$20,000.00$25,000.00$30,000.00Windows$9,000.00$12,000.00$18,000.00New Deck$8,000.00$10,000.00$12,000.00Roof Leak Repair$2,000.00$3,500.00$5,000.00Mold Mitigation$1,000.00$2,500.00$3,500.00AC Units$13,000.00$15,000.00$18,000.00Carpet Replacement$2,500.00$3,500.00$5,000.00Kitchen Remodel$5,000.00$10,000.00$20,000.00Total$68,247.00$94,080.00$137,537.00Due to lack of capital to fund these repairs, I believe the best option is to find an investor looking to flip. 

That’s the kind of agent you want in your corner, especially in a competitive market like San Antonio.While I haven’t worked with him directly, I’ve spoken with an investor friend who did.