Just acquired a property in a small North Texas very rural town. No building inspections or permits exist out there. The previous homeowner enclosed the back porch and was using it as a 3rd bedroom. By doing this the ...

The interest rate on a HELOC or Heloan may be better than the personal loan. 

I have been househacking on and off for about 4 years.

You can use this property to hedge any others that you add that may only cover themselves, or require supplement until they are paid off.HOWEVER, if you have decided that your goal is to use Real Estate as a stepping stone to build wealth by upgrading the property you hold each time (condo to house, house to 4-plex, 4-plex to 8 unit, etc) then I think you are right to sell now while you think the property is at the top of it's appreciation.It will be hard for anyone on BP to tell you what to do as we don't know your goal.You are right. 

Additionally, while rates aren't historically bad right now, they are higher than 4-5 years ago, and they will be even higher for you as an investor than they were as an owner occupant, which is what you were when you bought originally.I get that you are anxious to add to your portfolio, but that could be achieved without touching your first golden goose.Sometimes on BP, the push is to leverage every last spare penny, but that can be a risky game as the markets shift. 

Insurance doesn't cover anything anymore and we can almost just pay for all damages with the money we spend on it! 

This is after covering all expenses and setting aside a certain amount for reserves to cover future expenses like capex or vacancy. 

You just need the right plan and the right people in your corner.A little background on me—I’m a real estate broker, investor, and developer out of Rochester, NY.

Have you considered creative financing options like joint ventures or seller financing to reduce reliance on outside capital?

I THINK you could probably just expense your deductible if insurance didn’t cover 100%.