Kind of like asking if people like cars pro/con; then finding out later you're a car salesperson; versus Truck/Motorcyle/Mass transit.Read back through my comment and yours, we said the same thing. 

A number of things seem like memory loss. 

How do I access a portion of that equity to fund the purchase of 1-2 more MFR properties in more affordable markets like OH, IN, MI, PA, TN, or AL?

It’s paid off, I would “like” to leave it that way & maximize the cash flow while paying down the heloc between the rental & other income.  

Sounds like you found a profitable niche 

Investing out of state in the KCMO area sounds like a smart move; it’s such an interesting market with plenty of potential.

At those price points I'm assuming this is a more cash flow area like the rust belt, or other mid west geography.

I've been working in software consulting services for over 15 years and it's kind of disheartening that I haven't been able to figure it out, but I've got other things to worry about (like how to get a few more properties so i don't have to worry about buggie tech crap anymore :) ).

STR feels more like a strategy to break even or eek out a meager return on a great asset than a strategy to cashflow.

I find it a great way to earn additional compensation as long as its a deal I like with conservative leverage and strong operators I trust.