About 15 years prior he had purchased an inexpensive tract of land near Lake Houston outside of Huffman, Texas.

You will save a lot more in expenses getting a traditional hard money loan and using your own funds for the downpayment and closing costs.

At $30 an hour, that should count as $600 a month in expenses or $7,200 a year.My STR performance slowed down last year.

I tried to chase cash flow with buying inexpensive properties. 

HELOC is always going to be the most flexible and inexpensive option. 

But generally I think areas that are relatively inexpensive with low(er) crime, decent schools, a diversified job market and steady population growth are the best places to aim for.

Really inexpensive to do (usually), especially in truss framed houses that have no bearing walls...takes about 30 minutes to tear down the partition wall and voila, there you have a huge open space.

I use Monday.com for lots of things and am trying it out as an inexpensive alternative to Google sheets.

I use Hemlane.com for this because it is inexpensive and easy to use. 

Examine Midwest markets that exhibit positive demographic and economic trends, such as varied economies, inexpensive housing, and rapid employment development.Prior to making an investment in an out-of-state market, it is imperative to establish connections with local property managers, investors, and real estate experts.