I've got about $525K in equity in the property, but lenders have told me that I cannot get a HELOC to access that equity for additional purchases because the duplex was financed as an investment - they have said TX law dictates that HELOC can only be used on primary residences.

Lenders may count eligible assets as additional qualifying income by dividing eligible assets by 60.🔹 Example in Action:Rental income: $9,000PITI: $9,500 → DSCR <1 (not qualifying)Using $63,000 in assets → Adds $1,045 in incomeNew DSCR >1 → Higher LTV (80% instead of 75%)🔹 Why This Matters:✅ Helps investors qualify for better financing✅ Increases borrowing power and flexibility✅ Allows you to scale your portfolio fasterUnderstanding financing tools like this can be a game-changer for investors looking to maximize opportunities.

All of our self-storage run at basically 100% occupancy except for our most recent addition. 

Additional resources and tools via brokerage.... 

Since seller-paid fees usually cover their services, you get local expertise without additional expenses.Final ThoughtsLive where you like, but invest where you can achieve financial freedom.Out-of-state investing has proved to present excellent opportunities.

Those are some of the unique things we offer in addition to helping each investor build a strategic investment plan & roadmap to achieve your specific goals.

In my experience in MO, land bank properties are very low priced (these are generally properties/parcels that weren't sold at the tax auction), but they often have significant tax liens on them that must be cleared in addition to the "sale price" AND they require a significant amount of rehab in order for the properties to be inhabitable. 

What would be my best route to take if we need additional finances?

Give them a 60-day notice, then charge them a prorated rent for the additional 20-day extension.

Electing disregarded entity status avoids additional filings while achieving the same tax outcome.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.