And what is your price point and are you looking for turn-key properties or something along the lines of a "fixer upper"?

Don't be afraid to ask them why they don't want to apply.When I'm having pricing discussions with owners I work with, I always remind them: a month of vacancy costs your bottom line more than a unit filled with a rent reduction.

But the rents don't justify it, for example we are renting a 3 bed 2 bath house with a huge backyard in rancho Cordova for 2350/mo, so duplex rents around here are 1800-2200 ballpark.

Would this be more in line with the "gifting" approach? 

The down fall is a Heloc can "Never" be used as an asset or for PITI reserves required when buying a new Primary or investment property.A heloc can also cause major issues with credit and one slight hiccup or missed payment the bank or lender who is holding the Heloc can close or reduce your line of credit.

All calculations suggest great investment for 4 bed 3 bath in good school zone, however once the tax estimator goes from $2200 to $9500 due to lose of tax credit from not being a primary residence it hard to see how to get property in SC.

One of my recent favs is someone who's Instagram profile read  something along the lines "0 to 500 units in 6 months".

It also gave me a month to order furniture and think through the decorations and line up contractors so all in all, it was a win to keep the rentals. 

Roof lines, window styles, and masonry/siding all play into this natural flow, and the biggest mistake you can make when designing your flips is not following the flow that is already present!

Then do a thorough research on tenant applicants (note: leaving this to a PM may be hazardous to your financial health) and choose the one that is most “stable” with the best potential for long term tenancy.This advice is contrary to maximization of rental income, but IMO will reduce expenses of tenant turnover, property damage, property management fees so much that the difference in bottom line income will be quite small.