That said, I suggest you prioritize continuing to educate yourself, by consuming podcasts, books, etc and make networking a top priority. 

Note, however, that some investors do and rely on the borrower's motivation to prioritize a roof over their head as justification.

I know that David recommends that, at the minimum, a real estate investor should prioritize accumulating a property every year through house hacking.

Several of you have offered some great advice on what to prioritize on HELOCS, and I've been looking for a lender that can provide the maximum line of credit with an interest only payment option, but I'm curious how much I should care about the margin on my HELOC interest rate if I'm planning on using the HELOC as a short term tool to purchase properties and then pay back the HELOC once I'm able to refinance the property with a primary mortgage.

Collaborate with leasing agents to monitor the market, ensure optimal rents, and proactively plan for the lease-up of current and future vacancies.

Also, I'd recommend prioritizing the house hack because cutting your living expenses by a $1,000 or more with a hack will yield a net cashflow to your bottom line much higher than any simple rental property deal you're likely to find.  

I would recommend connecting to any local REIA meet up groups in your area: I have learned about housing and zoning, future projections of growth, tax lien homes, and many other topics as well as grew my group of mentors, collaborators, and a curated list of contractors for my projects.

Sure appreciation is great and a major wealth generator but a lot of real estate investors prioritize passive income. 

Start the eviction and watch him look for places to live.By waiving a late fee, you are telling a tenant that your rent payment does not need to be prioritized first.  

If you feel like the balloon opens you up to significant liquidity risk you should openly discuss that with the seller up front and try to collaborate on new terms that remove that risk.