i.e. accept the fact that there was small positive cash flow of $133/month and chip away slowly at the HELOC and then maybe in 7-10 years (if enough equity was in place) do a cash out refi to pay off the HELOC?

It has been about 7 years and the original sealer is still as good.I did have a repair on a granite vanity this last turn, the tenant dropped something on it and it had a chip the size of a nickel out of it.

Market waits for no-one and they were too slow to cash in the chips.

Well the way brandon explains it is that even though people use the two terms interchangeably "private lenders" and the easier terms really just means its people you know from networking or friends and family - so if you can't get the money or the deals don't make sense with whats being offerd by hard money lenders then IMO you need to start hustling to all the local netowkring stuff you can (thats where i'm at right now)If you don't have a local bp meetup, start one - bring coffee and donuts - whatever it takes, even the only people you meet are a bunch of other newbs then thats a start - you could all chip in on a flip or something.But yeh - low interest rate easy money is going to take relationships

I despise marital (or any other) strife, so it would be worth it to me to continue to chip away at the fear until it's gone.  

But we are also content to sit on our hands until we find a deal we like.I would rather go nice and easy and live another day if (when) we make a mistake, than to push all of our chips on the table on every deal we do.Best of luck to you!!!

The floors are a bit dinged up, chipped here and there.

If you jump into a market which has already seen massive growth and you are not cash flowing.... this is the easiest way to lose money.Just because San Diego is blue chip does not mean it is bullet proof.  

If you purchased the property for $400K but it only appraises for $390K then the bank will only loan on the $390K and you have to come up with the difference of $10K or ask the seller to help chip in. 

Samsung's $17 billion semiconductor chip manufacturing plant currently under construction on the south side of Taylor is poised to upend the local economy, being by far the largest anchor employer in the region.