I have a few commercial bank contacts, but concerned they may just cut me out of the deal.

Quote from @Anil Shah: It's unfortunate Raleigh-Durham didn't make your cut of 13 cities but Charlotte is definitely the city to choose in NC if your want the city feel.

Cut “Bush sticks” yesterday.  

(May also cut significantly into the current cash flow on it)I know you mentioned not doing a HELOC on my primary, but wouldn't it be advantageous to have the ability to pay off the line of credit instead of be stuck in a payment that is much higher? 

If I do this, my PITI would jump up to $3,090, really cutting into any cash flow and the interest rate would jump to 8%.

They cut out all but the best locations and were way more cautious.

I recently started with a new company that is paying for my housing, vehicle, and fuel.

You just need confirmation from your broker the amount you would receive from the commission (if they take a cut), if you're your own broker you can authorize that yourself. 

This was a learning experience that will fuel many success to come.On the podcast you mentioned you were going to take a few months off.

Got a story about an awesome contractor you worked with—or maybe one that didn’t quite cut it?